Review: Atreides “Neopangea”

Atreides “Neopangea”
Suspiria records

Creating of supercontinent called Neopangea (actually Neopangaea, but there’re also names like Pangaea Ultima, Pangaea II and Pangaea Proxima in use) is a matter of next more or less 250 millions of years – of course if we’ll follow hypothesis (based on past cycles examination of formation and supercontinents breakup) by PhD Christopher R. Scotese. However, as he said: “It’s all pretty much fantasy to start with. But it’s a fun exercise to think about what might happen. (…)” Anyway, I’m sure that an album calls like it calls not because these guys are total geology maniacs and didn’t found the band to spread its theories, discoveries and so on.

They did it year 2014 in the most populous municipality of Galicia (autonomous community, which was independent kingdom something like 1.400 years, in north-west Spain) – Vigo. In comparison with capital city of Galicia, A Coruña or even Santiago de Compostella it’s quite young city, which began its history practically in XVI century – earlier there was very small village here.

“Neopangea” is their second album, by the way. And here I have to confess that I never heard their debut one entitled “Cosmos” (but in Greek). Well, titles of both full-lengths can suggest that they can be somehow connected with each other when it’s about lyrics. But this is rather red herring. It’s enough to read songs’ tittles to note that in all probability we haven’t with concept album to do here. Music? Well, our Galician brothers call it Melodic Heavy Metal and I can only agree with that. We’re listening to melodic, but heavy as well riffs. Daniel knows very well how to do it – especially that, it seems, he is the most experienced musician in the band (since 2005 plays and sing in Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band SKYDANCER). He plays variously, of course and serves us some solos from time to time. Anyway, fragments and even general character of “Balada No. 6” I connote somehow with “Wind of Changes”. It doesn’t mean that song is very similar, by the way. Drumming is also variable, even if we haven’t here some technical displays. Adrián beats very energetically and even in mentioned above ballad you can feel this. Such as on my taste there’s too little cymbals. Well, let’s be honest: there’s very little cymbals in fact. Iván sings of course with clean voice and melodically, but there’s right dose of power in it. He has interesting timbre, anyways. I could find some much more better well-known vocalists to who it’d be justified to compare him to. But why should I do it? It’ll be better when you’ll check it out by yourselves.

And you’ll do it with pleasure if you like to listen to (even sometimes) music where melody plays very important role. But, as I said before, guys don’t forget about power which makes that this is Heavy Metal and not some…