MOTHER OF MILLIONS: Artifacts (PROGRESSIVE METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

While they had delighted the editors of Music Waves in 2017 with a "Sigma" that had made it into the top 5 of the year, here comes again the Greeks of Mother Of Millions with an appetizing "Artifacts".

From the very first bars, 'Amber' reassures fans with the expressive singing of George Prokopiu who is visibly confident, and introductory choirs reminiscent of the Norwegians of Leprous. The riffs are heavy and jerky but not intrusive, leaving plenty of room for other instruments and especially a stunning drum set (on 'Rite and 'Soma').

And the Greeks apparently learn very quickly. With an experience they have been improving since 2014, their third album features chiselled compositions combining a suave progressive metal tinged with the post-rock of their debut, with that sense of melody magnified by Prokopiu's bewitching timbre. The finely crafted compositions and elegant orchestration place each note to serve the music with rigour and good taste.

Perfectly balanced the album flows with a very natural fluidity and the sequences of tracks are done very gently thanks to carefully worked atmospheres and linked by keyboards which can evoke some O.S.I. or Anathema on 'Cinder' for example. The final "Artefact" leaves all the singer's emotion filling the space for nearly ten minutes of happiness and sensations. The female voice reciting in Greek brings even more depth to the title that the piano conserves emotions before a fire all in restraint but with an almost lyrical intensity, in a post-rock vein that will take all lovers of the genre by storm. Beautiful !

In terms of regrets, the fans will point the lack of risk taking compared to the previous exercise, the absence of a slightly rougher singing where Prokopiu masters with strength and emotion, a questionable artwork (but tastes and colors...) and a duration of only 41 minutes that gives us hope that the Athenians have kept it under foot to come back to rock us with pleasure in less than two years.

Always as fine in compositions and skillful in arrangements, Mother Of Millions confirms with this "Artifacts" the enormous potential it has displayed since its inception. With this 2019 album, the band has the particular merit of not doing too much, a sobriety in the service of music. This restraint combined with an impeccable technical mastery, serve intelligent compositions where melody and emotions seem to be one, for our greatest pleasure. To listen without moderation and look forward to the rest to come !

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator - Official website

MOTHER OF MILLIONS

ARTIFACTS

VICISOLUM PRODUCTIONS

PROGRESSIVE METAL