Preternatural- Cryophobia

Artist: Preternatural

CD Title:Cryophobia EP

Label:Unsigned

Reviewer: Rhys Stevenson

Date: 03-07-10

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One of Latvia’s most fresh yet promising metal acts has given us their debut album and their upcoming EP, from the darkest side of East Europe, in the cold Baltic countries, a storm is brewing, kicking off with their latest release ‘Cryophobia’.

Previous to ‘Cryophobia’, their first debut album ‘Statical’ was released in 2007 and previous to this three demos have been released, ‘Presence’ in 1999, ‘Life Text’ in 2002 and ‘Chaoticon’ in 2004. Currently unsigned, this quintet from Riga, will unleash the darkness of the paranormal on Europe, and the world.

The EP starts off with the title track, ‘Cryophobia’. Kicking off with a techno-laden introduction and a power-slide on the guitars, Preternatural prove that they mean business, instant synchronisation occurs with the guitars and drums before Serg lays on the spine-chilling death metal vocals, whilst the subtle melodies of the keyboardist can be heard.

The second track from the EP ‘Reptile Wings’, kicks off with a short synthetic intro followed by a long and scary death growl by Serg accompanied with driven guitars and insane blast beats, the final solution kicks in when Serg lays down he vocals in an aggressive death metal style, whilst this happens the guitarist, Volod, battles the music composition made by the bassist Deniss, drummer Gin and keyboardist Euge. The war for the perfect composition by Preternatural has begun.

The third final track from the EP ‘Paranormal Phenomena’, gives some indication of what lyrics the band operate in, the paranormal. Eerily synthetic tunes weave amongst the heavy drumming and precise guitar plucking. Melodic death metal has a new face, with Preternatural in the driving seat, get set for Cyber Melodic Death Metal. Take the X-Files, add metal’s flesh to it and you have some idea of the atmosphere created with the music.

Stepping back in time to 2007 to Preternatural’s debut album ‘Statical’, we are first delivered the electronic cyber vocals of who is not said, but lyrics for this passage in the song ‘Timewarp’ are as follows “there is no heaven, here is no hell, there is only this world and its dark reflection, and we do not know of which the two worlds we are’, this signals the paranormal practises of Preternatural. Straight into melodic death metal the music composition enters, with the added scintillating melodies of the keyboardist. The music of course changes from song to song, but the consistency makes this album a legitimate candidate for the melodic death genre.

Shove out Arch Enemy and replace them with Preternatural, this is what will eventually happen, forget Latvia’s Skyforger, look beyond the mainstream metal of BFMV. Take the dark route to this extravagant bands music and endure 47 minutes of pure true Latvian cyber melodic death metal.

Do you now believe in the paranormal? No? You will after listening to Serg’s wise and powerful scriptures, let the darkness erupt…

Written by Rhys Stevenson

10/10

https://www.preternatural.lv/ ( Download the EP)

https://myspace.com/preternaturalofficial