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Pathosray: Sunless Skies

Pathosray: Sunless Skies

Progressive Metal
Rating: 4.75/5.0

Frontiers Records
/www.pathosray.com
www.myspace.com/pathosray
Review: Craig Hartranft
Added: 05.31.2009

In 2007, Italy's Pathosray surprised with their ambitious self-titled debut showing us musicianship and creativity beyond their years. With their sophomore effort, Sunless Skies, Pathosray continues their strong craftsmanship of fine progressive metal. This time around the emphasis appears to favor the more melodic and progressive side of metal than the power metal which heavily flavored their debut. These trends displays Pathosray's development and maturity in musical expression.

To the melodic trend, songs like 'Behind The Shadows,' 'Aurora,' or 'Sons Of The Sunless Sky' combine rich vocal arrangements and harmonies with movements both intense and subtle from guitar and keyboards for astonishing results. Add to this the soaring ballad-like 'In Your Arms' and the vocal duet with Syrayde's Klaaire on the symphonic melodic metal of 'The Coldest Lullaby, and you have genuinely impressive music. For the more progressive side, include the aforementioned 'Aurora' and 'Sons Of The Sunless Sky,' but also the terrific 'Quantic Enigma,' again with varied vocal styling and a very strong keyboard presence. However, the most masterful piece of all is the epic and enthralling 'Poltergeist' which pulls out all the progressive stops by combining a mesmerizing amount of tempos, instrumental performances and vocal styling

For most young bands with a stunning debut, expectations for the sophomore release always run high and often get dashed. Not so with Pathosray. Sunless Skies is equal to or even better than their first. Sunless Skies is an enthralling, entertaining and more mature work progressive metal, pursuing more complexity and melody than before. Highly recommended!

In Short

For most young bands with a stunning debut, expectations for the sophomore release always run high and often get dashed. Not so with Pathosray. Sunless Skies is equal to or even better than their first. Sunless Skies is an enthralling, entertaining and more mature work progressive metal, pursuing more complexity and melody than before.

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