Leviathan
‘Of Origins Unearthed’
Independent Release
2018
Melodic Death Metal
The history of Leviathan has been marred by an extended run of bad luck including huge losses of money due to problems with their previous records distribution. This sadly caused Leviathan to call it a day in 2013 and the band went on an indefinite hiatus. Push forward four years and Leviathan are back, accompanied by a small line-up change of Hendrik Franke on bass and the female vocals of Jule Dahs. Spurred on by a renewed sense of vigour, Leviathan are releasing their third studio album ‘Of Origins Unearthed’ and not only is the band rejuvenated, but Leviathan sound fresh and hungry; a far cry from the jaded band that was last heard in 2013.
The German melodic death metal band have rarely sounded this good and this is down to the chemistry that exists within Leviathan and the song writing which has come forward for ‘Of Origins…’. This chemistry has been fostered by the man from Orden Ogan, Seeb Levermann who has added his sense of pragmatism and knowledge of the genre to the album making ‘Of Origins…’ sounding exceptionally good.
However, a production and mastering sheen can only take a band so far and the sound must be backed up by the sustenance of good song craftsmanship and thankfully, this is in abundance during ‘Of Origins…’. The single ‘Proclamation of Death’ is a melodic death metal masterpiece, whilst the bouncing acoustic guitar at the beginning of ‘Come Forth Leviathan’ gives the band a different feel and is reminiscent of Blind Guardian, the fast paced epic nature of ‘Whatever’ would appeal to fans of Children of Bodom, whilst the soaring vocals of Jule Dahs during ‘The Eye of the Storm’ has all the hallmarks of Epica or Nightwish.
As an album ‘Of Origins…’ is exceptionally enjoyable and is surprisingly good. It is a huge leap forward from their previous two albums and shows that Leviathan can go toe to toe with their peers. Unfortunately, without the backing of a record label, this album could sadly fall on deaf ears and that would be a tragedy. Get these guys a record deal and get them the recognition they deserve.
80/100
Adam McCann
