A passive blend of ethnic music and metal? Check. Cloaked drummer? Check. AI slop bullshit cover? Check. Well, it seems like the Tunisia-based band Myrath is doing everything right according to "How to be Surprisingly Popular Magazine, Vol. 1." Last time the Metal Temple crew tackled Myrath, it resulted in a dazzling review and a near-perfect 9/10 score. Already, "Wilderness of Mirrors" isn't getting a 9, as at LEAST one point is deducted for the usage of generative AI, especially from such a prolific progressive metal band. Hell, they were the first Tunisian group to be signed to an official label. I can't let the dross cover art distract me, so without further ado.

Unlike the cover, the music is alright. Like the cover, it's not entirely for me, which is astounding; I have a ferocious bias for anything progressive, even clean symphonic prog. I'm not fazed by the surface-level lyricism, which features stagnant rhyme schemes persistently pairing "night" with "light" or some other "ight." "Edge of the Night" is shockingly the worst offender. I thought progressive metal was supposed to explore lyrical realms kept untouched by the ancient musical gods? Speaking of surface-level, Myrath's African iceberg stops there. Every single song is a straightforward arena-shaker. Ballads like "Echo of the Fallen" and "Out Of My Soul" are anthemic as anthems can be, and I have no issue visualizing massive crowds loving Zaher's epic voice and Malek's soaring guitars. I, too, appreciate them, but I'd rather listen to the infrequent occurrences of pure technicality in tracks such as "Still the Dawn Will Come" and "Through the Seasons," the premier selections of the album. The fact that only 20% of the album is my highlight speaks volumes about the variety of "Wilderness of Mirrors."

Circling back to Zaher's vocals, and I guess I do more than just appreciate them. He reaches some impressive notes, and Elize Ryd helps him out in "Until The End." Vox takes the forefront in a bombastic power-metal fashion, and while he does go guttural in the closing track, I'm still not hooked on his ultra-polished cadence. Everything is ultra-polished, really. The lustrous production makes listening to such "meh" ballads less tedious. I've never been opposed to symphonic progressive metal, but I really gravitated towards the busier parts just so I can bang my head harder. The cultural violins and Qraqeb (courtesy of Radhi Chaouali) further lubricate my ears for the slough of power ballads, and while they're not as prominent as I wanted, their inclusion helps greatly.

So in summary, I'm miffed with"Wilderness of Mirrors." Myrath is a talented group bringing Tunisian/Arabic folk music to the masses, but why are they generating their covers? Their music is simply alright - nothing outstanding, nothing horrendous. Like the top comment on this review's linked video, "At least we still have Orphaned Land."