Progressive Extreme Metal from Italy, that's how the band EPISTHEME describes themselves. But after listening through their debut album "Descending Patterns", I've come to dub them a much more appropriate name: OPETH-lite. Not only do I think that's a rather funny band (nick) name that someone should jump the bandwagon on, but as far as their music goes that's exactly what it is.

Now, let's just get something very clear: I'm not comparing them to OPETH in terms of excellence, because that'd either be simply amazing on their part or plain stupid on my part, and the truth is neither (or so I hope for my own sake). Rather I'm making the comparison because anyone who has listened to their fair share of OPETH could easily call out the similarities: The Progressive nature of the songs is the same with its fearless approach to both lengthy slow sections as well as enraged Extreme Metal slaughters exchanging each other flawlessly, which is amplified by vocalist Luca Correnti's use of both growls, screams and clean vocals in coordination with the twists and turns of the music. The dark and Melodic sound is similar enough to call out as being similar but refined (note: not improved, just changed) enough from OPETH's magnificence to avoid the pit of copycatism. Hell, even the melodies themselves sometimes sound as if they were created during one of Mikael Åkerfeldt's inspiration spurs yet never made it to one of OPETH's masterpieces because it simply wasn't OPETH enough - I mean the opening track "Eyeland" could very well have been a first draft of OPETH's glorious "Deliverance", and the beautiful "Shades of May" could've easily been that one track that didn't make it on OPETH's "Damnation".

However in all fairness there is more than OPETH going on in EPISTHEME's music in terms of influences or straight-up similarities, because what makes their music OPETH-lite to my ears seem to stem from an open relationship with more traditional Progressive Metal acts like FATES WARNING and Metalcore-esque bands like TRIVIUM (don't worry; only good influences), which makes the whole thing just more streamlined, not as heavy on the extremes and perhaps more easily enjoyable. Upon this they can add a distinct difference in that their flirting with Extreme Metal is more general Extreme Metal as opposed to OPETH's many variations of Death Metal. But in the end, although it should be given, EPISTHEME's debut is not as good as OPETH.

But what does 'not as good as OPETH' really mean? It means that if a band can be compared to, arguably, among the greatest Metal acts of all time, you've got something good going. And that's exactly what EPISTHEME has got going on "Descending Patterns"; good stuff aplenty. The OPETH-similarities are many, but EPISTHEME has managed to create something nevertheless distinct and definitively enjoyable. This is the kind of album that I eventually just gave up finding bad things about, because whatever minor things I managed to dig up just seemed insignificant compared to the good. So fans of Progressive and/or Extreme Metal shouldn't look past this great debut release, and what a debut release it is, because it has probably got more than a few spins in it if you give it the chance. And given how many times I've mentioned OPETH so far, if you're a fan of theirs you simply have to give this a spin, because OPETH-lite's debut is a quality release in just about every aspect mentionable.