'Mirayon' is a new Swiss progressive metal project initiated by keyboardist 'Cyril Stoller' and guitarist 'Dario Colombo' in 2015 to which were then added bassist 'Daniel Schmid', who also provided the group's compositions , and singer 'Silas Bitterli'; their influences are quite broad and it would be simplistic to limit them to progressive metal because they incorporate other components quite far from metal and alternate accessible sections with much more sought after sections. Generally, in this kind of album, we often have to do with a concept and the theme deployed here, through the personal story of 'Daniel Schmid', tell, I quote their page here, "his career as a musician in the conviction that there is a God who loves us, but who challenges us again and again because we often lose ourselves and who also wants to free us from ourselves."
'It's Not About Perfection' welcomes us with a symphonic introduction which does not bode nothing for what is going to follow, because after 2 minutes, raging guitar riffs accompanied by a narration give way to an energetic and sought-after instrumental section which calms down at the end to continue without transition on the next track 'We Run We Hide' which alternates different tempos and intensities with an accessible sung part and instrumental parts much more difficult to tame. Change of scenery with 'Change Me' which, despite some growls, is a ballad far from metal that we immediately appropriate thanks to a catchy melody then 'I Am His Child' continues in this soft and quiet atmosphere. Always without transition, with 'Free', the progressive makes its return with accessible melodic lines sung alongside less affordable instrumental parts, then 'Struggle' is certainly the title furthest from the general atmosphere with, first of all funk influences that merge with guitar riffs then more sought-after instrumental parts led by an imaginative rhythm section, the tempo changes being very frequent and 'I Need Forgiveness' that follows continues in this patchwork of styles while keeping a more progressive complex frame with an epic sung finale. The end of the album features a enticing 'I Run Away' which was the subject of the promotional video above and which is certainly the most catchy track then 'You Are The Light' which closes the opus with a long development summarizing well the whole with very accessible part starting with a ballad with vintage melodic lines which gains momentum and takes us on a progressive instrumental section and always in crescendo returns to an energetic sung part to fall back into an atmosphere quieter symphonic with a final narration.
In summary, the Swiss of 'Mirayon' show a great maturity for this first studio recording which merges the accessible with the less accessible making of 'A Tale of Challenging Hope' a very good surprise 2020 which should please a whole audience adept at a sophisticated and imaginative progressive... | |
