Review: Rhodium “Sea Of The Dead” [Sliptrick records]

This is a much better way to make an album that tells stories. This one really has it all: catchy verses and choruses, powerful vocals, great riffs, nice stories, and above all an ambitious and grandiose feel.

That’s a description of the overall feel of the album, but what about specific moments? The first songs are pretty simple and catchy power metal numbers. But it’s with the second half of the album that things get really interesting, with the complex story with tempo and melody changes of The Emperor, or the symphonic metal inspiration of Sisters of Fate, or even the simple but badass chorus of Fight Back. Then there’s the melancholic yet bombastic title track.

But most importantly, it just sounds great! The guitars have this really nice sound and they play their nice and wildly imaginative melodies. The lead vocals are deep and powerful, sometimes interrupted by long high notes. Their performance is always full of passion. I must also mention the guest operatic female vocals on Sisters of Fate, which work pretty well and add a nice contrast with the male lead vocals.

As I said, the album seems to try to tell various stories, which like on every good power/symphonic metal album, have lots of adventures and emotions. All these have interesting elements, such as the weird prophecy thing in Sisters of Fate, the melancholy in Sea of the Dead, or the macabre lyrics in Doomsday. I like how they seem to be loosely inspired by mythological tales (with Sea of the Dead mentioning the Aegean Sea, and the Sisters of Fate who seem to be the Three Fates themselves), while still telling stories of their own.

So overall, this is a really good album. This band know how to craft compelling and moving stories, with really nice vocals and music. I’d really recommend listening to it, especially to The Emperor, Sisters of Fate and the title track. This is something you won’t forget.