This is a case where the band’s name fits the music perfectly. Skyfire suggests something lofty and raging, while also having a Progressive ring to it. “Esoteric”, the band’s first offering for 5 years in their 14 years of existence, is all of that and more.
I must confess it took me a few listens before I really appreciated this album. The intensity and complexity are such that whilst I realised that there was something good going on, it was hard to take in. This dark-themed work develops in style over the course of its 56 minutes. After an epic start, the catchy title track combines Power Metal with the feel and atmosphere of melodic Black Metal, then the album settles into a section of powerful and melodic Death Metal, whose heightened intensity is strongly akin to fellow Swedes Dark Tranquillity. The drummer is worked hard on this album, pumping out fast and furious beats in the earlier stages, then setting a more measured and calm pace for the other band members to build on. The Progressive style becomes more apparent from “Let the Old World Burn” as the album continues its dark course. I particularly liked “Darkness Descending”, which as its title suggests, gallops musically into the abyss. “Questions remain unanswered” is the opening lyric. Indeed. It’s brutal, urgent and epic at the same time. By contrast, “Misery’s Supremacy” is flamboyant and colourful, and in common with the later tracks on this album, has a “big” sound about it, making me think of Pagan’s Mind. There are some high-powered, integrated guitar solos, notably on “Misery’s Supremacy” and “Linger in Doubt”, another hooky number in the Progressive section. The last track “The Legacy of Defeat”, leaving out the uninspiring bonus track after it, is pure Dark Tranquillity in its sound. It precedes a section similar to one I’m sure I’d heard on Opeth’s “Blackwater Park”. Above all, the album never loses its sense of purpose, melody or intensity. The more I listened, the more I appreciated the intricacies of this technical work. Meanwhile the roaring vocals suggest that all is not well in the world.
All in all, this is a well-packaged work and of a high technical quality. It’s one where there’s more to be discovered with each listen. In short, it’s an accomplished album which draws the listener in to its dark but accessible world.
http://www.myspace.com/skyfiremusic
http://www.pivotalalliance.com
