ALBUM REVIEW: Halo – Eastern High
The thing about progressive, melodic metal is that you can sometimes listen to a seven-minute song and not even realise it’s been seven minutes. It feels like time barely moves, as the cumulative licks and riffs take you full circle. Those seven minutes are the product of a performative, intricate and exquisite process that actually, even seven minutes cannot contain. And so we are grateful for each minute, a tactic that in any other genre would be considered borderline experimental art. Here, it is the creative norm.
Running at a total length of nearly 39 minutes is EASTERN HIGH’s sophomore album Halo. Sure, not exactly an average of seven minutes per song – more like five – but the winding riffs that pepper this record feel like a whole discography has just captured you from the circadian cycle. The intro to Erosion of Hearts is something special. A heedful, moody and succulent opener that carries you into the better part of two minutes without difficulty or again, realisation. Frontman Ola Svensson’s earthy and mellifluous vocals are the sufficient climax.
Svensson has an effortlessly likeable voice. His vocal abilities are showcased further in tracks Emperor and Morning Star, this time as a vehicle that can operate Viking-like chants, and that can toy with pitch and octave ownership. Pair this with drums that won’t quit and you have some severely determined metal tracks perforating your eardrums. They are paradigms of those heavy songs that remind you there is still an uncharted catalogue of cool as hell riffs being unearthed by artists.
This idea that progressive metal can wash over you is encapsulated perfectly through the title and sound of track Journey. That is the idea of this style; that each song takes you on a journey. This track is a beautiful break within the middle that allows the listener to sit with the ferocity and dexterity they just heard on the previous tracks, and hear it unfold in a profound and purposeful manner. The combination of guitar and keyboard really shines on this one, and the melody that is crafted through it is designed to let the mind trudge through.
Title track Halo is something worth shouting about, as you would expect. Severe, steadfast, stirring. The intro conveys immediate DEFTONES vibes before turning into that melodic medieval magic that has been circulating through the record thus far. The repetitive and harmonious incantations by Svensson are again a stellar aspect. The track-list ends on emotional number, Ashes to Ashes, which brings to light yet again this group’s ability to mesh meaningful melody with valiant virtuosity.
Something about a band’s name reflecting an entirely different style to their music has always been fascinating. The name EASTERN HIGH doesn’t scream metal, perhaps implying more of pop-rock ambition, and the chosen title Halo does not exactly scream originality within the heavy realm, but the delighting contrast adds to the excitement of hearing these guys’ talent. And before you can muster up an explanation behind the chosen names or how you’ve never come across these guys before, you realise, it’s been a minute.
Rating: 8/10
Halo is set for release on July 30th via self-release.
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