Ghosts of Atlantis – Riddles of the Sycophants
Release Date: 27th October 2023
Label: Hammerheart Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Symphonic Death Metal, Progressive, Black Metal, Extreme Metal, Gothic Metal.
FFO: Dimmu Borgir, lamb of God, Cradle of Filth, Septic Flesh.
Review By: Rick Farley
“After the heroic actions of the Atlantean people in 3.6.2.4, those lucky enough to escape the great floods, now wash ashore on a new land. Word has spread across the lands and seas, of those that survived. Tales begin circulating of the survivors who have won favour with the gods. These riddles from Sycophants, cause great unrest, and set in motion chaos and destruction. Out of fear, the seal of Pandora’s box is removed in the hope of bringing some balance of power on earth.”
Released Friday the 27th of October 2023 through Hammerheart Records, Riddles of the Sycophants is album number two from the Suffolk, England symphonic extreme metal horde. Formed in 2019 in the land of the witches, Ghosts of Atlantis carry on the area’s tradition and staple sound of dark, aggressive, sinister yet sonically accessible extreme metal through emotive orchestration, gargantuan chorus lines and massive hooks. Comprised of guitarist/clean vocals Colin Parks, main vocals Phil Primmer, guitarist Dex Jezierski, bassist Al Todd and drummer Rob Garner, Ghosts of Atlantis take influences from mythology, fantasy, and modern day plagues, then concoct a tale of intriguing stories to accompany the haunting, choral, hellacious musical soundscape. A brutal mix of symphonic, groove, black, and prog metal that are all focused on melodic textures, hammering chunky riffs, luscious, airy atmospheres, orchestral instrumentation and a bombastic cross of powerful gutturals and emotionally charged theatrical cleans.
Riddles of the Sycophants is a collection of well told stories, featuring many known, and lesser known characters from across different mythologies. Sonically, this lumbering beast uses a powerful balance of dark harmony, brutality, and grandiose dynamics to make their songs come to life in an organic, natural way. The crunchy staccato riffs of Lands of Snow are hard charging and incredibly memorable. The guitars, drums and bass are equally crisp hitting like hammers all at once, while the vocals switch from bellowing growls, deathly gutturals and silky choirs creating mesmerizing hooks throughout. The song has incredible balance between extreme and accessible. While the mystical melodic darkness of Behind the Wall takes its time to reveal its full self. It crawls at a pace reminiscent of melodic death in the vein of Viking metal inspired melodies, with gothic vocal leanings mixed in to keep it fresh and balanced. Its epic walls of guitars, huge synths, and glorious melodies take it towards being heavy balladry in a war like triumphant way. To sharply contrast some of the bombastic genres represented here, album opener March of the Titans is a muscle-bound, jet fuelled crusher. The battering pace keeps the riffs driving with groovy, menacing purpose. Mingle in a little black metal blasting influence and dark dual melody, and you have yourself a lethal dose of magnetic intensity. Each song on Riddles of the Sycophants is fluid with a similar formula, flowing well into one another without sounding too predictable. One gripe I do have; on a few songs, some parts remind me of other bands just a little too much. There’s a decent dose of Lamb of God style riffing and vocal style that’s sometimes a bit close. Cradle of Filth, Amon Amarth and Dimmu Borgir all sound as if they may have guest appeared a few times on the album, but actually did not. More of a personal gripe, because some people simply won’t care, and it does not detract from the albums enjoyability, but I feel It is worth noting.
Lastly, the record sounds absolutely incredible. Mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström, it feels crushingly heavy, alive, and full of vibrancy. Riddles of the Sycophants features guest appearances from James Stewart, Christian Älvestam, Anna Kiara and Drake Mefestta. Truly, this album will be the talk of the metal community for quite some time and should help propel Ghosts of Atlantis into the upper echelon of symphonic extreme metal. Check this one out with an open mind.
(4 / 5)
