Progression is defined as the process of developing or moving gradually towards a more advanced state. Throughout many bands careers, they mature as a collective and gradually fine tune their sound to their desired genre. Though still a relatively new band, Russia’s Shokran have progressed quite a bit in their few years together, all the while still maintaining their core sound. On previous albums, the gentlemen have received wide acclaim, with “Exodus” especially receiving many album of the month awards as well as being avidly loved by fans. With their newest outing “Ethereal”, the band takes what made “Exodus” so great and amplified that by a tenfold: the instrumentation, the vocals, the production, the concept, what have you has been improved upon in an unfathomable way, leading to the bands greatest album of their careers.
Right off the bat in opener “Unbodied”, the oriental sounds, as common on prior albums, are still very prevalent and it’s really well utilized as opposed to being some easy gimmick. The concept of the album, which is about the main characters self-searching, multidimensional wanderings and realizing himself ‘as great as a God’ in some of the realities, is fully revealed on “Golden Pendant”, which coincidentally enough seems to have some of the best lyrics on the album. Other songs like “Ascension” starts off with a very melodic slow burn that transforms the song into something more progressive in nature as the song plays out. Honestly, there is at least one memorable moment, note, or lyric on each song that seemed to resonate with me, and I have come to find new things on repeated listens. Needless to say this will be an album I will still be discovering new things with months down the line, which greatly speaks for its replayability.
Being self produced, this album sounds absolutely massive and crisp, which is a testament to the talent of these guys and their dedication to their craft. Bass is clearly audible, the thematic elements are well incorporated, the string sections sound fantastic, and overall the album sets up a certain dreary atmosphere that draws you in and refuses to let go. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is just atmospheric, this is one very diverse album with a full array of sounds at it’s disposal to really and truly impress the listener.
One thing that’s hard to deny is the true talent of the musicians on this album. Chief composer Dmitry Demyanenko proves that not only is he talented in terms of writing music, but knows how to make it catchy all at the same time. While not an original member, vocalist Andrew Ivashchenko has proved his worth on “Exodus” and truly awes the listener in numerous ways on “Ethereal”: from his haunting cleans to his devastatingly heavy harsh vocals, everything feels finely tuned and appropriate for each song. These musicians have perfected their respective craft, and it really and truly shows how much work they have put into all of this.
Honestly, after only a handful of listens, I can openly admit that I love this album. It took the heaviness from “Supreme Truth” mixed with the more progressive sound on “Exodus” and combined the two, resulting in one of the finest pieces of progressive metal I’ve had the pleasure of hearing in quite some time. I have to give the utmost respect to these musicians, as they have really busted their asses to make a great record, and it truly shows. Everything we loved about “Exodus” is improved tenfold on “Ethereal”, from production, to the instrumentals, to the vocals…. You name it. Do yourself a favor and pick up this wonderful album on Friday February 8th, you will not be regretting it one bit.
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