Most of us started something new during the Covid pandemic. Polish scene veteran Quazarre (Devilish Impressions, Asgaard, Crionics) started another band and called it Ephialtes after the Ancient Greek word for nightmare. He then doubled down on it by calling the debut album Melas Oneiros, which means black dream, or nightmare. It’s not everyday someone is so considerate as to make their thematic inspirations so clear. What wasn’t clear was exactly what he meant by melodic blackened death metal.
Repeated listens to Melas Oneiros haven’t helped me nail that down beyond ‘yes’. Ephialtes draw from a lot of different ways to interpret that genre and blend them altogether. Take the song “In Her Embrace Again”, which starts with emotive Insomnium sounds before finding a marching strut not unlike Behemoth, and then veers back and forth between these moods all song. “Children of Arachne” has sweeping tremolo patterns that remind me of early Amon Amarth, there’s a seriously thrashy vibe to “The Blood of the Gods”, and even a metalcore-esque moment at the end of “Homo Deus”. I admire the ambition and like the sonic variety, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t some tonal whiplash at points.
It’s a shame because Ephialtes hits most of their targets. Quazarre handles gloomy cleans and blackened growls equally well and pumps out riff after riff. Drummer Adam Niekrasz provides pyrotechnics when appropriate and does fine work in adding texture and shape with his fills, particularly on “The Void”. There’s nothing earth-shakingly original about what they’re doing but Melas Oneiros isn’t meant to be that. It’s meant to be a tribute to and riff on an established art form, and Ephialtes more than show they know how to do that in the moment. It’s just when adding it together something goes missing.
Melas Oneiros is a debut album with all that implies. Quazarre and Ephialtes are still refining their vision of what they have to offer. I’m hoping the next album is that bit more refined and cohesive because while they’ve done on Melas Oneiros shows they know how to make a good listen, they’ve got to make a jump to really grip hold of people’s minds.
