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Album Review – The Prophet / Essence (2019)

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A vibrant and demolishing fusion of classic Black and Death Metal with contemporary Melodic Death Metal by a Russian band that’s been on an exciting rise since their inception.

It’s time to return to Siberia, Russia, more specifically to the city of Tomsk, for another round of violence, speed and rage in the form of the Melodic Death and Black Metal blasted by a very talented group of musicians collectively known as The Prophet. After releasing the full-length albums Sunrise (2011), Across the Sphere (2013) and Dying (2015), which by the way I had the pleasure of reviewing here at The Headbanging Moose when it was released, as well as the EP’s Chronos (2013) and Another Damned World (2016), the band comprised of Theodor on bass and vocals, Doctor on the guitar and backing vocals, and Raziel on drums (also featuring now Deathbringer on the guitar) returns now in 2019 with another amazing opus, entitled Essence. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Project Studio Infernal Records, in Tomsk, and featuring a grim artwork by Mark Erskine, from Erskine Designs, Essence will undoubtedly please all fans of both old school Death Metal and contemporary Melodic Death Metal, proving once again why the band is on a constant and exciting rise since their inception in 2010.

Ethereal sounds permeate the air in the beautiful and melancholic intro Essence before the trio begins hammering our minds and hearts in From the Endless Vortex, a brutal Melodic Death Metal tune infused with classic Death Metal elements, with Raziel crushing his drums while Theodor growls and roars like a beast, kicking off the album on a sulfurous note. Then the talented Doctor shreds his chords manically, igniting the also frantic and pulverizing Defeated by the Demons, even more aggressive than its predecessor and showcasing deep and demented growls mixed with unstoppable blast beats and low-tuned bass jabs; and there’s no sign of the band slowing down, as Emerald Eyes is another great song for banging your head vigorously, presenting a solid instrumental with highlights to the perfect sync between Doctor and Raziel.

A lot more introspective and dark, Blackword sounds closer to traditional Swedish Melodic Death Metal, spearheaded by Doctor’s razor-edged riffs while Theodor exhales anger from his harsh gnarls, ending with a smooth piano that builds a classy connection with the instrumental bridge Dreamside Areas, a touch of delicacy added amidst all the havoc blasted by the trio, soothing our souls and preparing our minds for World of Pain, an obscure and absolutely visceral display of Death Metal by The Prophet. Featuring absolutely no shenanigans nor any artificial elements, we’re treated to pure old school Death Metal flowing from all instruments into our avid ears, with the bass lines by Theodor sounding truly violent and metallic, whereas Flying is another straightforward composition that keeps Essence at a very good level of quality and stamina (albeit not as exciting as the rest of the album), with its background orchestral elements bringing an extra dosage of eccentricity to the music.

Back to a full demolishing mode, Time is highly recommended for slamming like an animal into the circle pit while Theodor’s bass and Raziel’s drums smash your senses mercilessly, flowing into an inspiring acoustic finale before another instrumental bridge titled Grand Deliriozo Part I (Imago) brings more peace to our hearts to the sound of stylish piano notes, enfolding us all until The Prophet begins firing their most ambitious and boldest creation to date, the somber and heavy-as-hell In the Dying Sunset. This is undoubtedly an excellent option for breaking your neck headbanging, with all band members delivering sheer aggression from their respective weapons, in special Theodor with his deep guttural roars, putting a dark and at the same time gentle ending to the album.

As I know my simple words are not enough to actually describe the strength and heaviness of the music by The Prophet, I suggest you take a good listen at their new album Essence in full on on YouTube and on Spotify, and in case you’re a diehard fan of this more aggressive version of Swedish Melodic Death Metal you should definitely pay The Prophet a visit on Facebook and on VKontakte, and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Hence, you can purchase Essence from the Soundage Productions’ webstore, from Apple Music, from Google Play, from Amazon or from Discogs. Russian Melodic Death Metal has never been so good, and we have to thank the guys from The Prophet not only for leading that trend, but also for showing a healthy and interesting evolution in their sonority just the way we always like it in heavy music.

Best moments of the album: From the Endless Vortex, Defeated by the Demons and World of Pain.

Worst moments of the album: Flying.

Released in 2019 Soundage Productions

Track listing
1. Essence (Intro) 1:22
2. From the Endless Vortex 3:45
3. Defeated by the Demons 2:49
4. Emerald Eyes 3:44
5. Blackword 4:17
6. Dreamside Areas 1:56
7. World of Pain 2:50
8. Flying 3:23
9. Time 3:32
10. Grand Deliriozo Part I (Imago) 2:06
11. In the Dying Sunset 7:44

Band members
Theodor – bass, vocals
Doctor – guitar, backing vocals
Raziel – drums

Album Review – The Prophet / Dying (2015)

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A consistent and striking album full of hatred, suffering and death, by an up-and-coming Russian band that aims at redefining Melodic Death Metal.

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the prophet_dyingIf you look up in any dictionary for the definition of the word Dying, you’ll find a few different meanings such as “on the point of death”, “occurring at or connected with the time that someone dies” or even “gradually ceasing to exist or function; in decline and about to disappear”. However, from now on there should be a new definition added to that list referring to the brand new release by Siberian Melodic Death Metal band The Prophet, a consistent and striking album overflowing hatred, suffering and, obviously, death.

Dying is the third full-length album by this talented band formed in 2010 in the city of Tomsk, Russia (one of the oldest towns in Siberia), and it’s by far their most solid and professional one in terms of its overall production, quality of the compositions and connectivity among its nine hostile tracks. The album’s cadaverous artwork, designed by Armenian artist and multi-instrumentalist Mark Erskine (GraveDealer Studio), is just the icing on the cake, effectually complementing what the music by The Prophet proposes throughout the entire album.

Just a few seconds after their metallic cavalry arrives in the opening track Killers, The Prophet already start detonating their fast and furious Death Metal through the harsh screams by lead singer/guitarist Doctor and a high-octane rhythm brought forward by guitarist Jo-Sound, bassist Bathone and drummer Raziel, reminding me of the massacre that old school Arch Enemy used to present. The following track, On The Path, is perfect for banging your head like a maniac due to its Black Metal riffs and its darkened ambience, which is also present in Incantation Of Sorrow, with the slight difference that now it’s the drums that get closer to a Black Metal sonority.

Band-1Although Amid The Fogs Of Nothing has the most beautiful name of all songs in the album, it is just an instrumental tune that prepares the listener to “die” with the title-track, the heavy and crisp Dying. It’s yet another song with a strong Arch Enemy-ish vibe, or in other words, it’s very melodic and lethal at the same time, with highlights to the always desperate growls by Doctor and the razing riffs by both Doctor and Jo-Sound.

Relying on a truly unhappy and dark atmosphere, Let My Soul Out will not bring any joy or hope to your miserable life, especially due to the addition of elements from Blackened Doom and Doom Metal to its musicality; while Infection, a lot faster and more violent than most songs of the album, sounds as if Behemoth meet In Flames, therefore kicking you in the jugular without mercy. A Voice From Nowhere follows a similar pattern, offering sheer brutality and nonstop beats that morph into an eerie ending, whereas Bathone and Raziel guide the funereal Last Mourning Waltz, with its guitars acting like one last scream of agony before a sinister piano concludes the band’s journey to the other side.

There are many ways you can join The Prophet on their road to death and doom, including their  official Facebook page, VKontakte, YouTube and SoundCloud. And in case you want to purchase Dying, you can find it for sale at their BandCamp page or at the Russian label Musica Production’s page on eBay. Now all that’s left to do is adding the suggested new definition of “dying” to the dictionary, especially because the words “dying” or “death” have never made more sense in Melodic Death Metal than through the music by The Prophet.

Best moments of the album: Killers, Dying and Infection.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Musica Production

Track listing
1. Killers 3:23
2. On The Path 4:14
3.Incantation Of Sorrow 3:31
4. Amid The Fogs Of Nothing 2:05
5. Dying 4:05
6. Let My Soul Out 5:25
7. Infection 3:43
8. A Voice From Nowhere 2:52
9. Last Mourning Waltz 4:48

Band members
Doctor – vocals, guitars
Jo-Sound – guitars
Bathone – bass
Raziel – drums