Manticora
Hyperion

When I purchased this CD, I felt a strange sensation that I had never experienced before. I tried to discern in the smallest details inside the cover something that could give me a precise idea of what I would be listening to soon. But the clear sensation I perceived from the beginning was that of something missing. As if the touch of the object itself was enough to convey everything inside it. I'm not a clairvoyant, but after listening to the album over and over again, I thought back to what I felt from the start, to give myself an answer on the "why." It's been about a month, and yet I still can't grasp that underlying sensation...

Hyperion is the third album by the Danish band Manticora, which, along with Wuthering Heights, is trying to elevate a genre not widely followed in that nation. After the good debut "Roots of eternity" and the excellent "Darkness with tales to tell," the third album was anticipated as the one that would consolidate the good work done up until then, reworking everything into a new musical conception. Having only listened to the band's first three works, I can say with certainty that Hyperion does not hold up compared to the other two. From a musical standpoint, it introduces some experimentation into the band's sound, but the final result does not achieve the quality that Manticora had accustomed us to.

Hyperion is based on the science fiction saga by Dan Simmons, which, having read it, probably didn't deserve an album of this kind. Discussing the themes covered by Simmons would become complicated both due to their complexity and the difficulty of fitting them into a power metal album.

The beginning is, as usual, an atmospheric intro, which gradually transforms through sounds that are not at all evocative into a full-fledged song where Larsen and Arendal's guitars also find their place. The continuation is not the best, and "Filaments of Armageddon" flows with its over seven minutes, leaving behind only a trail of boredom and fairly insipid riffs. A lack of punch is immediately noticeable, with riffs that want to be effective and aggressive but only result in a major headache. Moreover, what I consider to be the band's most serious problem emerges again: it might be my taste, but I cannot stand the voice of the singer Lars Larsen. Far from Kiske's vocalizations and Kursch's evocative power, Larsen, with his monotonous tone, "ruined" even those passages that musically were valid.

I think it's useless to talk too much about the tracks, also because despite some differences, they are very similar to each other. I mention "Cantos", which in my view is the most varied and engaging on the record, and salvageable are also "On a Sea of Grass - Night" and "Swarm Attack", an instrumental piece. For the rest, Hyperion is weak, settled on itself, and regressed. Yet, although it is considered by many to be their least successful chapter, this album is still to be considered for its importance in the band's sound. Indeed, with the first two works, Manticora proposed a power metal within the norm, but with this Hyperion, the band has ventured into new territories of metal: you can hear segments tending towards thrash and at the same time glimpses of genuine progressive metal.

Perhaps I was too harsh with the evaluation, but after listening to it several times, I can only confirm what has already been said. A non-urgent, unconvincing album. A real misstep for the Danish band.

1. "A Gathering Of Pilgrims" (2:21)
2. "Filaments Of Armageddon" (7:36)
3. "The Old Barge" (3:51)
4. "Keeper Of Time - Eternal Champion" (7:53)
5. "Cantos" (7:00)
6. "On A Sea Of Grass - Night" (1:41)
7. "Reversed" (7:36)
8. "On A Sea Of Grass - Day" (3:03)
9. "A Long Farewell" (8:44)
10. "At The Keep" (4:40)
11. "Swarm Attack" (2:08)
12. "Loveternaloveternal..." (7:03)