Well I said a fair amount last month regarding Pythia on reviewing their new EP, a couple of tracks of which are on this their debut album. Let’s face it this is the big test for the band really. They have worked hard building up a fan-base, who looking on their forum seem to be a friendly and dedicated bunch. They have played small shows and gathered fans and much bigger ones with headliners whose fans were completely indifferent and were probably not going to be wowed over by anyone at the end of the day but the main event.
Firstly I love the design here, the cover illustration is both romantic and with an air of mystery about it and the artwork inside is really striking as it puts the band members in a fantasy scenario. On pressing play I have to admit that I breathed a sigh of relief seeing the clock counter on 46 minutes. I know it’s all about giving fans value for money and packing as much as possible on a disc and I look on things slightly different than those going out and buying their music online or in a shop but, some albums like Epica, Nightwish and other groups of this orientation have been endurance tests coming in at 75 minutes. Like they say, it’s nice having a few bites of chocolate but too much gives you spots and makes you sick!
Anyway onto the music and opener ‘Sweet Cantation’ is one hell of a bombastic opening salvo as it storms in with a mighty gallop and swaggers off with a really heavy cleave about it. Guitars scythe and bass chugs and in a slow moment the chorals from Emily Ovendon really shine through as the keyboard sparkles around them dropping us into a snow laden winter wonderland. A Cantation in case you were wondering (as I just was) is apparently a ‘singing’ and it’s certainly sweet here. The next couple of tracks were covered on the EP and all I am saying here is they are even catchier after not playing them for a week or so and ‘Tristan’ is obviously beefier as it was the acoustic version we heard on the single.
The Jacob Hansen production is nice and chunky and everything is clear in the mix. Listening to songs that are new to me like ‘Ride For Glory’ it’s hard not to get caught up in the swagger and the confidence behind the performance. If you had played me this and I did not know better I would be trying to think which Dutch band this was as we are all well aware that the Netherlands excel at this style, the fact that Pythia are from Britain is a nice touch. More ballad orientated numbers such as ‘My Pale Prince’ have enough going on to keep interest and this particular number has a dark vibe running through it which stops it becoming too cheesy. I am reminded a bit of Within Temptation at times here but believe you me that is no criticism. The cantata storm of ‘Eternal Darkness’ succeeds admirably in latching itself into your head and there is the added delight of Brian Blessed reading some World War I poetry on ‘Army Of The Damned’ by Sassoon (that’s Siegfried not Vidal you muppet).
I think with this and the single and live reviews recently I have said about all I can on Pythia for the moment but am happy to report that this is a formidable and entirely enjoyable debut album. I expect this could well see the band playing further afield than the UK and indeed it looks like dates are announced in April in Holland.
If you are in London catch them at the Terrorizer sponsored album launch party at The Intrepid Fox on October 12th and see for yourself.
http://www.pythiamusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/pythiamusic
