Exomnia - Aftermath
With their debut EP "Aftermath", Exomnia from Thessaloniki, Greece unfold their virtues in melodic death metal, the style they chose to serve.
After a synth intro enough to set a dark evocative atmosphere, the emphatic riff of the opening track 'Departure' breaks in. The riff is thick, heavy and melodic. Exomnia seem to have an own sense of groove which at times sounds thrashy giving additional interest in their faster parts. The backing vocals of the chorus have an epic/old heavy metal Mercyful Fate feeling. Exomnia make a great use of their riffs. They don't collage them and so the riffs don't just follow one another; they evolve. This is an asset for their songwriting. The production of the EP is modern and catchy but not overpolished.
'Tragedy' is my standout track of the EP. It starts off in a Theatre Of Tragedy mood with operatic vocal lines in what I would call a music film score for an atmospheric dark film rather than a typical metal song. The sense this part gives is as if you are lost in the dark mountains and just gaze at the distant sea and clouds in hope of escape. The basic riff is again a classic heavy metal riff performed in a way close to the after 00's Iron Maiden pattern. The doom break lies somewhere between Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride and owes a lot to the keys which enhance the atmosphere. The excellent guitar lead work would make jealous any of the Northern European melo-death bands with its great sense of melody. The vocals vary from melo-death to old school growls that reminded me sometimes of early On Thorns I Lay and Horrified (Gre). 'Tragedy' is an epic/dramatic song in full meaning.
'Despair' begins with another excellent melody supported by the keys and double guitar lines. Exomnia perfectly balance between their notes and moods. Amon Amarth influences are present at their most aggressive parts, but they remain in a perfect mix with the Iron Maiden way of using the melodic lines. The song is intense and Exomnia show their ability to handle and use their themes for the benefit of their songwriting. The synth/piano passages present the avant-garde face of the band. There are doom/heavy parts but death metal and nice melodies are always present.
The next song 'Wrath' deals with the lost power. The pounding riffage and dominating vocals make the whole thing really big. The riffs reveal a variety of influences from Arch Enemy to Candlemass and from Dark Tranquility and In Flames to At the Gates always remaining powerful and really well performed.
The last song of the EP is called 'Ascension'. The emotional and moving acoustic guitar intro turns to a heavy metal anthem. The keys offer the song a 70's Deep Purple color which I enjoyed very much. The heavy/doom guitar riffs are beautiful and for some reason they show a connection of the band's sound with the 90's death metal scene of Greece.
To sum up, Exomnia managed with their first EP to present a thick version of melo-death with great sense of melody, nice harmonies and strong character. They have a very effective songwriting, modern but at the same time with old school references. Exomnia are skillful players and seem to have worked really good as a band to deliver such a tight result in their first effort. The "Aftermath" EP could be considered as a concept EP of a dark story. I think we will listen again from Exomnia really soon. That being said, I feel lucky to have bands of such quality from my homeland. Besides, Thessaloniki had always offered great metal bands. Don't pass this EP. It is the step for something bigger.
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After a synth intro enough to set a dark evocative atmosphere, the emphatic riff of the opening track 'Departure' breaks in. The riff is thick, heavy and melodic. Exomnia seem to have an own sense of groove which at times sounds thrashy giving additional interest in their faster parts. The backing vocals of the chorus have an epic/old heavy metal Mercyful Fate feeling. Exomnia make a great use of their riffs. They don't collage them and so the riffs don't just follow one another; they evolve. This is an asset for their songwriting. The production of the EP is modern and catchy but not overpolished.
'Tragedy' is my standout track of the EP. It starts off in a Theatre Of Tragedy mood with operatic vocal lines in what I would call a music film score for an atmospheric dark film rather than a typical metal song. The sense this part gives is as if you are lost in the dark mountains and just gaze at the distant sea and clouds in hope of escape. The basic riff is again a classic heavy metal riff performed in a way close to the after 00's Iron Maiden pattern. The doom break lies somewhere between Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride and owes a lot to the keys which enhance the atmosphere. The excellent guitar lead work would make jealous any of the Northern European melo-death bands with its great sense of melody. The vocals vary from melo-death to old school growls that reminded me sometimes of early On Thorns I Lay and Horrified (Gre). 'Tragedy' is an epic/dramatic song in full meaning.
'Despair' begins with another excellent melody supported by the keys and double guitar lines. Exomnia perfectly balance between their notes and moods. Amon Amarth influences are present at their most aggressive parts, but they remain in a perfect mix with the Iron Maiden way of using the melodic lines. The song is intense and Exomnia show their ability to handle and use their themes for the benefit of their songwriting. The synth/piano passages present the avant-garde face of the band. There are doom/heavy parts but death metal and nice melodies are always present.
The next song 'Wrath' deals with the lost power. The pounding riffage and dominating vocals make the whole thing really big. The riffs reveal a variety of influences from Arch Enemy to Candlemass and from Dark Tranquility and In Flames to At the Gates always remaining powerful and really well performed.
The last song of the EP is called 'Ascension'. The emotional and moving acoustic guitar intro turns to a heavy metal anthem. The keys offer the song a 70's Deep Purple color which I enjoyed very much. The heavy/doom guitar riffs are beautiful and for some reason they show a connection of the band's sound with the 90's death metal scene of Greece.
To sum up, Exomnia managed with their first EP to present a thick version of melo-death with great sense of melody, nice harmonies and strong character. They have a very effective songwriting, modern but at the same time with old school references. Exomnia are skillful players and seem to have worked really good as a band to deliver such a tight result in their first effort. The "Aftermath" EP could be considered as a concept EP of a dark story. I think we will listen again from Exomnia really soon. That being said, I feel lucky to have bands of such quality from my homeland. Besides, Thessaloniki had always offered great metal bands. Don't pass this EP. It is the step for something bigger.
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1. Departure
2. Tragedy
3. Despair
4. Wrath
5. Ascension
2. Tragedy
3. Despair
4. Wrath
5. Ascension
