Pythia – The Solace Of Ancient Earth
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
The history of the English Pythia goes back to the year 2007. With the drummer Marc Dyos and the guitarist Ross White are still two members from the early days active. Most painful for the band was probably the leaving of singer Emily Alice Ovenden. She has retired to private life and operates a pub in the north of London (Chandos Arms). She also sang the first three studio albums. After that, it was quiet around Pythia for five years. With “The Solace Of Ancient Earth” the fourth album was released, the first with the new singer Sophie Dorman. She steps into the oversized footsteps of Emily. Let’s have a look, if you can do it.
The album opener “An Earthen Lament” starts anthemic. Beautiful melodies, hook lines, elfin opera singing, So everything as usual? Unfortunately, not, Chanteuse Sophie Dorman always has problems with the high notes. These sound a bit shrill. Her feel-good zone is clearly the mezzo soprano. Little variety offers afterwards “Spirits Of The Trees”. The progressive second part with hectic keyboards somehow does not fit into the picture that I had so far from the English. Since “Black Wings” sounds a bit more like the “old” Pythia for me. The hymnic “Dawn Will Come” is one of the highlights of the album for me. The singer largely avoids the very high notes here. Here too much emphasis was placed on beautiful and catchy melodies. This can also be said of “Ghost In The Woods”. And the bouncer “Soul To The Sea” makes for a conciliatory finale. Here are the beautiful melodies that have inspired me in the previous albums.
Unfortunately, the first positive listening impression has not been consistently confirmed. Pythia are always convincing when they play in the mid-tempo range and singer Sophie Dorman avoids the very high notes. The progressive edge does not really fit to the English. Certainly “The Solace Of Ancient Earth” is not a bad album. But the predecessors were just better. And at that Pythia must be measured.
PYTHIA – Spirits of the Trees: https://youtu.be/JU5h8zI_KMI
Lineup:
Sophie Dorman – Vocals
Ross White – Guitars
Marc Dyos – Drums
Ash Porter – Bass
Jamie Hunt – Guitars
Marcus Matusiak – Keyboards
Label: Golden Axe
Out: May 17th 2019
Playing time: 54:27
Track list:
- An Earthen Lament
- Spirits Of The Trees
- Ancient Soul
- Black Wings
- Your Dark Reign
- Dawn Will Come
- Hold Of Winter.
- Ghost In The Woods
- Crumble To Dust
- Soul To The Sea
Rating : 7/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
