Too often, I earmark an album to hear later. I suppose it’s part of my process, listening to a couple songs then marking bands to revisit. But sometimes it means that I miss a great album. The debut Snakes of Byzantium album The Making was released back on September 20th, and it has been sneaking into my playlist more and more.
Snakes of Byzantium is a project from Ro Edwards, known for his metal band Kohllapse back in the 90s. This album marks his return to music, and what a return it is! As far as I can tell, Ro plays all instruments on the album.
This project, to my ears, sounds like a combination of progressive and symphonic metal. It is quite cinematic, and some of the tracks are deeply abstract, so don’t assume that this is straightforward in any way. However, you can certainly hear Symphony X, Devin Townsend, and Kamelot, at least as touchstones.
But I mentioned that this album has some abstractions, and that really surprised me. Some of the songs are heavy and satisfying, like the wicked “The Barbed Whip”. Some of the songs flow and change, though, like a stream of consciousness, such as the epic closer “Ionize”. Some songs are a mixture of the styles. It makes for an album that feels very much like a grand story and not just a collection of songs.
I think the second half is the stronger of the two, but the entire album is great. After a surprisingly dark intro, “The Unmaking” reveals an electronic-laced, atmospheric piece with terrifically smooth vocals. I was taken at that point. I like how he eases us into the journey, only getting heavy with “The Making”, a track with great riffs and dark vocals. “The Barbed Whip” hits next, and it is fantastic with how it transitions between acoustic musings and powerful riffs and blast beats. I love how heavy this one is, and I love the crazy synth lines in the second part.
The second half begins with “Beast”, anything but a normal song. It is a cinematic piece with punchy riffs that almost seem to hover in shadows, and there is a sense of gothic flair about it. Next comes one of my favorites, “Mindgazer”; this wicked track is fast and heavy with lots of blast beats and energy. I love how it scales itself back in the middle, only to build itself up to a huge finale. “Broken Hammer” follows and is a short, 3-minute piece that blasts its way by so quickly that I almost didn’t realize it was a separate song.
The last two songs are probably my favorites overall. “Tell Me Your Fears” is highly atmospheric. Most of it is spent floating in dark spaces with distant riffs echoing for full effect. I love its sense of style, and it might have my favorite chorus. The closer “Ionize” is a 12-minute piece that filters through various shades of darkness; it is completely instrumental and uses its time to transition between periods of heaviness to percussion-packed segments to pensive and stormy ambience. It’s such a cool way to end the album.
I want more Snakes of Byzantium. The Making celebrates texture and tone, and while it grants every metalhead’s wish for heavy riffs, it also revels in nuance and structure-less beauty. The album has a definite sense of self, and hits so many magical moments. Metal fans need to take a look.
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Find Snakes of Byzantium online:
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The PROG Mind 