365 Days of Metal: A Journey Through the Desert

Day 44

Myrath - Tales of the Sands

Artist Origin: Ez-Zahra, Tunisia
Genre: Progressive / Symphonic
Label: XIII Bis Records
Running Time: 45 minutes
Release Date: September 26, 2011

Best Part: Sort of felt like wandering through Act II of Diablo II at times.

Favorite Tracks: Requiem for a Goodbye, Sour Sigh, Tales of the Sands, and Under Siege.

Grade: 4.5

---------

Tales of the Sands in 20 words or less:

The successor to their sophomore wonder Desert Call, Myrath continues to provide prog metal that takes you on an audible journey across an exotic wonderland.

The Band:

Myrath is a five member progressive metal band playing out of Tunisia who play a tight style of progressive metal that incorporates the feeling of their exotic locale with the orchestration of Symphony X and the grooves of Dream Theater. With three records now under their belt, they carry with them veteran experience in their compositions, lively use of local instruments and the arching vocals of Zaher Zorgatti. Myrath also holds the honors for being the first metal band from Tunisia to be signed to a major record label.

Myrath's other releases include: Hope (2007), and Desert Call (2010).

Jay's Take on Tales of the Sands:

I was only recently exposed to Myrath as I was looking for some interesting prog metal to listen to, but with a twist. Myrath is to prog much like Cthonic is to black metal. The band has tremendous skill in forging their compositions, and the music features local instruments and percussion that only add to the exotic and unique feel that the band provides you with from the beginning to the end. Tales of the Sands features some very tight guitar work, with solid riffs and well strung together grooves, which are accentuated by the exotic instrumentation which is a cornerstone of the bands sound. Zorgatti's vocals fit the vibe of the music to a tee, reaching over top of the instrumentation and drawing you in. Myrath is definitely a band on the international scene to take note of, if they haven't already crept into your ear canals.

Sample of the Day:



- J