The first surprise with MYRATH is definitely their ancestry; have ever heard of a Metal band from Tunisia? I never have, and "Desert Call" was the perfect acquaintance. This young band has just released their second full-length album and I believe will manage to add this Mediterranean country in the great Metal map. Indeed, "Desert Call" has many things to offer and not just to progressive Metal lovers. Actually, I am not one of those die-hard fans who like their Metal served with over-complicated music scores, finger melting guitar tablatures and difficult to follow and remember melodies. MYRATH come with some traditional sounds that will bring the Sahara desert in your room and guide you through sun burned landscapes until you reach a green oasis to quench your thirst.

"Forever And A Day" waits for no shiny introduction and sets the score straight about the musical content of this album. Arcane melodies with violin and side drum sounds change the scenery to the blink of an eye, introducing the perfect marriage between tradition and Metal as soon as the distorted guitars have entered. Things become even better when the vocals enter bearing an ORPHANED LAND feeling and there you find yourself trying to find which way is East to get on your knees and start praying. The progressive Metal references have more to do with the heaviness of SYMPHONY X and less with the over-worked song structure of DREAM THEATER. "Desert Calls" is one of the gems of the album with Michael Romeo-influenced guitar riffs and wonderful vocal vibratos that will make you hum the chorus melodies after the very first CD spin. It is absolutely addictive how the guitar changes roles with the vocals sharing the same pitch and musical notes.

Despite the progressive Metal tag the album flows like water and the listener sees the grains of sand fall fast inside the clepsydra and don't understand how the ten minutes of "Silent Cries" pass by. This track justifies the DREAM THEATER influences with some James LaBrie lines but still maintains the band's quite original character. This track changes many "faces" during the ten minutes but keeps the interest high, especially with the excellent vocals that kick in with different timbres occasionally touching the Eastern melodic lines. The clean guitar break comes to ease the "pain" after the keyboard vs guitar climax where the composing and performing skills of MYRATH are presented in bold letters. The band uses many non-Metal instruments (I bet most of them have difficult to pronounce names) but do not over-flow the songs that maintain the Metal character throughout the album. The ballad "Memories" is the perfect example for this saying, where the Zorgati multi-vocal character shines once more bringing some Andre Matos (ex-ANGRA singer) high pitched influence to surface.

There is nothing more to be added here. MYRATH have done an -at least- impressive entrance with this high-skilled album that is capable to satisfy a wide range of metalheads who like to expand their horizons leaving aside all the Metal cliches. As it usually happens in similar cases, I am really curious to watch this band live and see if it is possible to bring the album's mystical atmosphere on the stage. I hope that I don't misguided you because the album is also heavy with headbanging tracks like "Ironic Destiny" but also "No Turning Back" with the almost AOR chorus and the fitting rhythm guitars.