ANTHROPIA: Non-euclidean Spaces (PROGRESSIVE METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

After only two albums, Anthropia has imposed itself on the progressive metal scene as one of the big Power-Prog bands, and not only in France. It is all the more remarkable that the band from France has hardly changed its line-up and that they continue to produce their albums themselves. The wait of almost 6 years has been long and feverish to finally see the successor of "Chain Reaction" land in our ears.

Already experienced in the exercise of the concept album, the band does it again on "Non-Euclidean Spaces" with Howard Philip Lovecraft's writings as a background. His fantastic and disturbing universe is a perfect playground for Anthropia whose varied and expressive music is perfect to take up such a challenge.

From the very first measures, the power of the sound and the quality of the production strike the listener. The work done by the band is remarkable from this point of view. And the first beneficiaries are the tracks that take advantage of this power from the beginning of the album with 'The Melancholy Of RC' and 'Silver Twilight Lodge'. The riffs are overpowering and the finely chiseled orchestration puts forward each instrument with a surprising clarity (the rumbling bass and the oriental keyboards of the second one). As he got used to it, Hugues Lefebvre serves very elaborate compositions, full of rhythmic breaks, solos and artifices reminding the greatest artists of the genre such as Ayreon as the sublime melodies of 'The Part Of Them In Me' testify. It is besides on this title that appears for the first time the voice of Arjen Anthony Lucassen as narrator, ultimate wink of a group which assumes its influences completely.

As for the vocals, Nathalie Olmi takes a little more space than on the previous albums. Her vocal performance is very expressive throughout the album with impressive climbs especially on 'Seeds Of Decay' where she competes with high guitar notes. A prestigious guest comes to bring all his power on 'The Snake Den' in the person of Edu Falaschi (ex-Angra) for a very power-prog title that the interested party would not have refused to see on one of the albums of the group a few years ago.

The guitars globally dominate the debates but without suffocating the other instruments. Hugues Lefebvre shows off his technique ('Unknown Kadath'), his touch ('Lost In Time And Space') and his talent transpires from each riff, each solo. The variety of the sonorities is also of the part in this domain since he regularly introduces acoustic guitars during intros and breaks instilling more intimist atmospheres. 'Fuoco' is even entirely interpreted in acoustic, a kind of wild flamenco with twirling soli and communicative energy.

Once again, Anthropia aims right with "Non-Euclidean Spaces" since the album is an anthology of the best of the progressive metal with power and symphonic tendencies. It will still take several listenings to fully appreciate the richness of this album but progressive metal fans are used to it, it is even often the aspect they prefer, discovering a new arrangement, a new theme each time they listen to it. Anthropia gives them the opportunity in the most beautiful way with a rich and complex album. - Official website

ANTHROPIA

NON-EUCLIDEAN SPACES

ADARCA

PROGRESSIVE METAL