ALBUM REVIEW: Bloodlines – Pyramaze
A change in line-up can often make or break a band. PYRAMAZE, despite a tumultuous early chapter, are a remarkable example of what can happen when fate swings the right way. The Danes’ initial three-album run in the 2000s ticked so many boxes in carving out their space amongst the colourful world of power-prog – but a string of inadequate, albeit talented, vocalists squandered the band’s potential and left their future in limbo. The arrival of present singer Terje Harøy in 2015, almost a decade since PYRAMAZE‘s last appearance, marked a new era – one of prosperity and grandeur. Now sitting three albums deep into this new age, the five-piece return in characteristically full-form with Bloodlines.
In 2023, PYRAMAZE still ride the blurred line between ‘hidden gem’ and ‘household name’. In a similar manner to the band’s recent work, Bloodlines once again begs the question of whether PYRAMAZE are ready to break this illusion and establish themselves outside the vacuum of obscurity. Their experience is unquestionable, and their conviction equally so, but has the showmanship and ceremony been enough to grab an outsider’s attention this time around?
The answer is a regrettable ‘no’ but, in spite of this, it cannot be stressed fervently enough that this album is worth every minute of your time. Simply put, this is another welcome visit from PYRAMAZE who deliver a predictably joyous effort. It won’t place the Danes any bolder on the map than previous work, but no less is it a triumph in artistry that will sit comfortably beside their other modern successes.
Bloodlines is another bulletproof blueprint for majestic, dense soundscapes that packs just as much complexity as it does outright fist-pumping jubilation. Plus, with every knob turned mercilessly to 11 since the band’s inception, PYRAMAZE’s ability to dodge the pitfalls of burning out is ever impressive. It’s not a drastic diversion from the last three albums by any definition, but there are plenty of well-embedded jewels and guest appearances within Bloodlines’ DNA to give fresh life to a genre in need of a good polish.
You’d be hard-pressed to find songs as instantly infectious as Broken Arrow, Fortress and Even If You’re Gone, all strung high and mighty to the bellowing echoes of Harøy’s fascinating command of tone and melody. Seven albums in, the band are well aware of their strengths, with no shortage of arena-deserving choruses throughout – this is an album for instant gratification and the band have no shame in showing it.
Their achievements bode well for much more than simply their own future. Too many bands in PYRAMAZE’s position begin to fizzle out or disband entirely and, with few true modern bearers of the prog power flag, the band’s survival is an essential, warming triumph to witness for this often-overlooked niche of niches. At this point, you may gather that there’s more to say about what Bloodlines represents than what it actually does. The truth isn’t too far from this assumption. Besides borrowing some technical prowess from guests across AD INFINITUM, UNLEASH THE ARCHERS and AMARANTHE, the LP’s ‘if it ain’t broke’ attitude ultimately leashes itself from being rendered a modern epic; by no means a bore but no by no means a showstopper.
This fact isn’t helped by the album’s abundant feeling of being front-loaded as you navigate the tracklist. The first six tracks are among the best the band have ever written, easily rivalling the peaks of 2012’s Disciples Of The Sun, and will refuse to release their unfeigned grip with their ear-worm hooks and infectious theatrics. Bloodline’s closing moments, however, fail to reach the same standard of insatiable ear-to-ear grins. The Mystery, despite being the most ambitious of the album’s singles, lacks a signature chorus to tie things together, and instrumental closer Wolves Of The Sea is a great battle anthem in its own right but, instead of setting up a final hurrah, builds momentum to no obvious purpose.
This is a solid album, that fact is non-negotiable. It doesn’t fret about breaking records or needlessly reinventing itself for the sake of ego or credibility; it knows what it does best and does it better than most. While PYRAMAZE won’t be joining the hallowed ranks of their contemporaries just yet, Bloodlines will undoubtedly make a lot of people happy. It would be wrong to ask for much more.
Rating: 7/10
Bloodlines is set for release on June 23rd via AFM Records.
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