Any and all Metal genres the readers can think of are affected by the country from where a band comes from. It’s because that national cultural features have a weight on the band’s musical DNA, and it’s impossible to tear such thing off (unless things aren’t being spontaneous). This is the reason for the North American quartet DIALITH, from Connecticut, shows something different on “Alter”.

Alasdair Mackie (the band’s guitarist) is the producer, with Randy Pasquarella on the of the vocals, Nick Bellmore doing the same for the drums, and Andy LaRocque doing the mixing and mastering. The idea was to give a weight and defined sonority that could allow the band to express its musical ideas on an understandable way, but wounding aggressive and full of weight. And Marta Sokołowska (artwork) and Kate Johnson (graphic design) created a beautiful artwork, especially the cover. And there is the presence of a guest: FoolishFrankie on the saxophone.

The band’s music is a form of Symphonic Metal mixed with influences of Folk/Pagan Metal in some moments. The difference comes from the fact that they prefer a more weight and aggressive approach on the genre, filled with many unexpected different traces of some other genres during some moments (as the tribal percussions heard on “Shadowdancer”, and blast beats at the end of “Writhing Red”). So it’s not simple to make comparisons, so just hear and enjoy this excellent EP.

“Writhing Red” is a Symphonic Metal song in the classic sense of the term, with a good technical appeal (especially on bass guitar and drums), and a charming chorus, and it has a catching set of melodies. On “Ironbound” the accessible aspects of the genre can be heard, and it’s a song hard to resist to, but what great guitar riffs and keyboards arrangements (and the saxophone parts fits on it perfectly). “Hourglass (Shadowdancer Pt. 1)” is a short and tender song filled with many tribal percussions and an Oriental Metal feeling. And “Shadowdancer” is a heavy song with some traces of modern Metal tendencies (as the Rap-like vocals on some parts), but pay attention to the Folk Music touches here and there (and to thunderous drumming).

One must praise the musical efforts of DIALITH shown on “Alter”, and Symphonic Metal fans must listen to it!