Nature is unleashing its gentle violence in an early summer thunderstorm, while the first notes of the powerful opener Drowning For A Breath trickle into the ear. The music sometimes sounds like a furious downpour, then again like a calming, meandering river. The acoustic guitars are reminiscent of a crystal-clear mountain stream, the sonorous voice gives the songs a tragic depth. In terms of vocals, the musicians offer us more variety on their new work than before: in addition to Michel's characteristic contributions, the female parts and polyphonic passages definitely bring exciting variations into play. In terms of tempo, the quintet wonderfully explores the scale from soft to hard. The riff- and guitar-oriented approach is accentuated very well by the successful, powerful mix. The guitar arrangements are sophisticated and vary pleasantly in their attention to detail. The emotional lyrics radiate a dark mood, but musically there is not only melancholy, but also rocking power and combative rebellion.
The smash hit Nothing is not nothing at all, but offers elegiac leads and subtle orchestral refinement alongside beautiful polyphonic vocal passages. A great song! In general, many vocal lines immediately stick in the ear without being obviously trimmed for catchiness - and this unobtrusive effectiveness disperses joy of playing, compositional skill and a good knack for catchy tunes. Cool breaks, such as in the course of Demon On My Trail, are rhythmic tricks that add pepper to the dark rock soup. Lost My Anchor, (again with female support from guest vocalist Lorena Valta), is a lyrical and solemn song, where the spoken word part and the brisk drumming are particularly appealing. The riffing during Embers tends towards Melodic Death, shines with concise lead melodies and stop-and-go rhythms. A pinch of doom and Machine-Head/Gojira-like guitar play and thrashy vibes permeate the cascading, driving piece Our Palace.
After that, the restrained introductory sounds of the somewhat unwieldy Thorny Crown are welcome, but demand full concentration as the song progresses; the background vocals (obey! dismay! decay!) encourage you to sing along, the shimmering solo and restrained tones loosen up the cool groove structure. The assault-like blasts of the final banger Venom Calls are no longer surprising alongside the interesting drum figures, the usual cool vocal lines and the sophisticated riffing including a heart-warming acoustic part, because the band is in great shape for 45 minutes!

EBONY ARCHWAYS have never sounded that powerful, spirited and lively - long live (the) Misanthropia!