It was already three long years since the Spaniards of 'Diabulus In Musica' had not released an album, 'Dirge For The Archons' dating from 2016 and meanwhile the singer' Zuberoa Aznarez 'having released a solo album 'Beyond The Threshold'. It's done with this sumptuous new studio recording 'Euphonic Entropy' which has seen again an evolution in the compositions : we already knew that the Spaniards had made a good place next to the symphonic metal tenors with great choir reinforcement like 'Epica' or 'Therion' but 'Euphonic Entropy' goes even further than its predecessor with a much larger variety.
After the instrumental introduction 'A Lucid Chaos' which sets the scene in this style of music and with some vocalizations by Zuberoa, 'Race to Equilibrium' takes us on for a powerful and rhythmic first track filled with grandiose choirs and l 'we can not help thinking of 'Epica' especially since at the melodic lines, we are very close to the Dutch and with 'Nuevo Rumbo', the grandiose symphonic style is at its peak with beautiful choirs and, here and there, the growls of 'Gorka Elso'. It is with 'The Misfit's Swing' that we hold the first surprise of the album with a title straight out of the inter-war period and the swing era which was metalized for the occasion and Zuberoa shows (if it still had to be done) that she is comfortable in all styles. We find the style of Epica with 'In Quest Of Sense' and it is with the hit 'Otoi' with its heady melody that the style approaches this time metal-folk with the addition of a flute with Celtic sounds. 'Zuberoa Aznárez' then gives us a great performance in the magnificent ballad 'Blurred Dreams' with magnificent choirs, then 'On the Edge' still comes out of the classical patterns for a style close to industrial metal which corresponds to a current evolution of symphonic metal (see last review of 'Delain' here). With the majestic 'Our Last Gloomy Dance', which is my favorite of the album, classical music and metal come together for an epic and grandiose composition with a melody that is immediately embedded in the head and again a flawless performance in a lyrical register of 'Zuberoa Aznárez'. The end of the album offers us an energetic 'One Step Higher' with electronic sounds and a more classic but very effective refrain close to groups like 'Within Temptation', 'Blind Muse' which returns to the style of 'Epica' and finally , the instrumental 'In The Vortex' which calmly ends the opus in an atmosphere of opera music in which Zuberoa delights us one last time with his deep lyric voice and full of sensitivity.
In summary, the Spanish of 'Diabulus In Musica' are back in force on the front of the symphonic metal scene with an album that will certainly mark the year 2020 in this style and if you like bands like 'Epica' (see here), 'Xandria' (see here), 'Sirenia' (see here) or even 'Imperia' (see here), you should no doubt be seduced by 'Euphonic Entropy'... | |
