Sometimes, as a writer, I can say that some surprises in life are just ahead, just after a turn on the road of life. And one of them is to see (and hear) the musical growth of a band. Past November, I wrote a review for the first release of North American band MYTHOLOGIK (a 4-tracks EP, and you can read it here), and wished that an album could come due their potential. As satisfying my words, here are they again with “Blood in the Sky”, the duet’s first full-length. Once again, Bryan Eckermann (who plays all the instruments on the album) worked as producer, and did the recordings, mixing, mastering, and the artwork as well. All is set to have an aggressive distorted outfit, but defined to allow people to understand what is musically expressed on the songs.

It’s a very good work, and does not sound artificial in some moments as in the past, so the best of the band’s music can be heard. Once more, what is heard is a colossal form of North American Thrash Metal, but again some different features can be heard (as the use of some Middle-East-like melodies on the leads on “Blood in the Sky”, the usual US Metal melodic DNA can be heard, fast double bass drumming, keyboards and pianos parts, some Gothic Rock-like vocals heard on “Epilogue”, and even Heavy Metal and US Power Metal influences in some moments; some). But even with such rich instrumental features, the music of the band is coherent and solid as a heavy rock, full of an aggressive impact and it bleeds in pure energy in a way that’s hard to not bang the head until the neck quits!

The first important thing to be said: there are no songs of the EP “Mythologik” on the album, and even no new versions of them, just 9 new songs are here. So be prepared to hear how they evolved on moments as “Blood in the Sky” (plenty of different melodies and with some Middle-East-like touches, and what excellent lead guitars and pianos touches), “Lord Death” (a massive flow of intense energy with thunderous rhythms created by bass guitar and drums), “Scorched Earth” (some blast beats inherited from Death Metal can be heard on this one, and some groove as well, but what good screams of the vocals), “Fallen Empire” (due its long timespam, it is full of shifts and contrasts, going from melodies to aggressiveness without warning, and such melodic and oppressive parts are really amazing, with vocals laying perfectly on the instrumental sheath), “Disease of the Soul” (another moment filled with melancholic melodies, and even when it gains speed and stamina, the melodic grasp is still strong, and what good blast beats once more), “Dark Waters” (again very good melodic arrangements arises from the guitars), and “Purgatorium”. It’s clear that they still hold some hidden aces in their sleeves, but their evolution is clear.

Pay respect to MYTHOLOGIK and dive into “Blood in the Sky”. You won’t regret the experience!