Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band VOICE OF RUIN hail from Switzerland, and formed in 2008. This is the band’s fourth full-length album, and it has ten songs. Following a short intro piece, “I – The Vile King’s” is the first proper song. It roars in with a weighted, heavy riff fueled by meaty bass notes and drum thuds, and the vocal vary from gutturals to screams. “Bloody Salvation” has some nice melodies and guitar harmonies mixed in with the heavy riffs and vocal screams. However, the riffs are recycled, and ones that you have heard before. This presents the biggest challenges to modern day Melodeath bands…how can you create music without relying on past sounds?

 “Unforgiven Sins” begins with clean somber tones, and the atmosphere they create is solemn and unforgiving. From there however, we get more old riffs, and the sense that the band is playing it too safe. “Cyanide Stone” features Anna Murphy. Her presence in the music isn’t as prominent as it could be however. She provides clean vocals in the chorus, but again, the music is uninspired for me. “Dreadful Tears” is a bit faster in pace but still the sounds of the past loom deeply in the music. So far, this album isn’t doing much for me. “Lustful Gaze” is another uninspired song, with cliché guitar squeals and a mid tempo groove, assuring the song will never quite get off the ground.

The title track closes the album, and the creativity of this song is just too little too late for me. The intro is nice, but once again, the song falls right back to the same trap as before. Look, Melodeath has been around since the early/mid 90’s, and although there are several interpretations of the style, “Cold Epiphany” relies mostly on the stale one. They need more variation in their music, and some changes of pace mostly, because they are solid musicians.