EBONY ARCHWAYS made a comeback after their seeming end in 2019. Midway through 2019, the band lost their drummer and bassist, but the two founding members Michel Sedghat and Christian Lechner were determined to keep the band alive. This new chapter includes a new drummer Thomas Kern, and a new bass player Wolfram Sorgo bringing the band back into the game. In June 2020, the band released their first album displaying their talents as a collaborative, "Taurus", and while the effort is apparent, I feel the mark has been missed as far as band identity. This album has a very generic feel that I was not expecting. The album includes tracks like "The Vanishing Point" where soft deep vocals carry you away, to tracks like "Lavender" that hit hard and heavy from the jump.

The overall tone of the album is dramatic and aggressive, a great foundation for a metal album, it almost feels as if I've heard these songs before. The first track I want to speak on is "Sadness Of The Wolf". This is the first track of the album and gives a very nostalgic metal vibe with the overall tone and chords, but I feel that the mark was missed on the lyrics. The track doesn't seem to flow very smoothly, and I lost a bit of interest in the album to tell the truth. My attention was regained by the third track, "The Vanishing Point". This one caught my attention and literally carried me away. Michel Sedghat carries a much softer tone in the beginning of the track and it's truly refreshing to listen. While the vocals may be softer toned- Lechner, Kern, and Sorgo seemingly play the ballad of a raging battle. This track was the most enjoyable of the album for me because it was so dynamic, the band felt completely different for a few minutes. I appreciate the versatility of EBONY ARCHWAYS because the switch up game with this album is real. The opening of "When I Descend" is much heavier- this is a track that really has you feeling the fight of the artist at its core, "Lavender" comes in immediately with hard hitting vocals and that same enraged tone that seems to be the core of the album's structure.

All in all, I was not particularly a fan of the album. The audio throughout the album felt very uneven in volume, which was disappointing. That being said, I did appreciate the talent of the musicians. I feel that the songs could have been written better to allow for more fluidity and understanding of the lyrics. From beginning to end there is no denying the talent and potential of EBONY ARCHWAYS, but personally feel that when it comes to "Taurus", I could take it or leave it.