ESQARIAL - "DISCOVERIES"
(Empire)

If I'm not mistaken this is Esqarial's third album. What has happened since their second album "Amorphous"? Well, if I'm not mistaken, they kicked out their vocalist and one of the guitarplayers started to sing. They also shifted from Pagan Records to Empire Records and this time the entire album is filled with songs (of which three are instrumental), instead of a lot of intro's, like on their previous album. The album title corresponds nicely with the kick-ass artwork and also some of the songs are related to this, so you might speak of a small concept behind this album. These are all changes for the better, and to continue in this way, so is the music. Their more musically brutal-orientated death metal has cleared the path for an even more musical approach, more melody, more structure, more non-death metal influences, though this is still the key to Esqarial. They still blast and their music is still brutal and agressive, but not as much as on "Amorphous" and the songs sound much more matured. The lead role is definately reserved for the guitar players, which play cool riffs, great solo's and tricks and create melodies which make every song recognizable after just two or three times of listening. I think that heavy/power metal and the somewhat newer releases of Death have been of great influence to these guys, but they surely put in a lot of ideas of their own! A lot of tranquil parts and parts that really make you experience the music are included, including acoustic parts and all, which all just sound great. You can very well hear that every song hasn't been written in just a few days but have all got a lot of thinking in them. They are all very varied and the entire album doesn't contain even one slightly boring or dull moment. Some songs also make use of keys, and without overruling they create all kinds of different moods in the songs that can take your mind away to thoughts of metal-bliss. From a very open moment in the music they can easily turn it around to a more brutal or threatening part without sounding forced or weakening the song, and in the instrumental tracks the lords on guitar show you what they're made of. I don't really know what to say... This is, in my humble opinion, a GREAT album!!! It's not often that I come across ones like this one. I might see a path ahead of them that also was walked upon by Opeth, and then I'm not talking musically, but succesfully! Ten very very good tracks that are full of high-class musicianship and as a bonus the cd contains a ROM part with bio, pics, discography and a live performance of one track. Get this one NOW!

Danny (Vampire Magazine)