Review: Scythia - ...Of Exile (2011)

Review published by Jessica Simard on 2011-10-25

Scythia - ...Of Exile ...of Scythia

For starts i'll mention that I am a fan of concept albums, whatever the style, they just reach out and get me. Those albums, where you have to listen to the whole thing to fully enjoy the work put into it, such as an Ayreon album for example.

Unfortunetly I stand on a fine line when it comes to Scythia's newest release. It's not bad, far from it. It just lacks the "je ne sais quoi" that this type of music project normally presents.

Ill start with the the cons, because there are considerably more than the parts I enjoyed. First off I like the idea of changing what people are used to hearing by using an uncommon instrument as one of their front players. And by uncommon instrument I mean the Oboe. It's a bold move, and it does a lot to shape some character in some songs. But like all good thing, if you put too much, it just gets annoying. And this is exactly what I feel is happening with the oboe on "...of exile" , I can easily compare this to a lead guitarist that just won't shut up with all his solos. Had it been just a little bit less present, I would have said nothing about it.

Secondly, the narration. Narration.....really? I know it's supposed to help the listener understand the story better, but honestly the lyrics speak for themself and there is no need for someone to make sure we're still following along. The sound effects and ambiances between songs do that just well.

And third of all, the last negative point in the review is that some parts of the songs sound like an afterthought, as though trying to fill a gap that another instrument couldn't take care of. And it doesn't sound like that just for the writting of the songs, but also in the sound. Some instruments sound like they were added later and don't blend in the general sound of the mix.

Ok enough bashing. Apart from these these little things the album was quite enjoyable, the the story was very entertaining. I had no problems listening to it, and it kept me interested throughout the story. The musicians did a great job, everything is well played, it's polished and the melodies very well made. And the voices, especially when they sing together are quite pleasing to the ear.

I'm not going to say this is the album of the year, but it's definetly worth giving a little listen.

Scythia is trying to pull off what not many bands can pull off and to that, I tip my hat. All that, with what I suspect is a limited budget. This is their second release, the first being "...of war" and if you compare the two albums, there is a definitive improvement between the two. Hopefully the next album will be even better.

Share with