Shadowpath – The Aeon Discordance

Shadowpath
The Aeon Discordance
Out: March 10^th, 2024
Playing time: 59:19

The band Shadowpath has a long and turbulent history. Originally, Philipp Bohny and Benjamin Zumbühl (Ben) founded the band Spellbound in 2005. However, the project soon split up again due to “very different artistic ideas”. A few weeks later, Wishpond was founded, which then changed its name to Shadowpath in 2006. A 10-song demo (“Into the Shadows”) was released under the name Wishpond. Another demo (“Dissipating Flows”) followed in 2012 under the name Shadowpath. But numerous line-up changes obviously slowed the band down, so that the debut album “Rumours Of A Coming Dawn” was not released until 2017. It took another seven years for Shadowpath to follow up with “The Aeon Discordance”. Only keyboardist Philipp Bohny and drummer Samuel Baumann are still with the band from the early years. Vocalist Simone Christina(t) has been in the band since 2018. The most recent addition is guitarist/bassist James Pankhurst (2021).

Most bands put their overlong monumental epic at the end of an album. Not so Shadowpath. They start right away with the fifteen-and-a-half-minute piece “The Lifeline Economist”. Quiet piano sounds can be heard at the beginning, followed by strings. The vocals begin. A great dramatic arc is built up here. Philipp Bohny sounds raspy. Simone Christina’s soprano matches this. After just under two minutes, the Swiss show that they are a real Metal band. Blasting riffs and booming drums make sure of that. Of course, the growls are a must. “Outside The Tetrahedron” starts with keyboard orchestration. But the guitars and drums dominate here too. If you can trust the (live) video, Simone and Philipp alternate on the abysmally evil growls. But the female singer also lets her beautiful soprano voice ring out again and again. “Unwounded We Bleed” then starts rather bittersweetly with Simone’s elf-like vocals. But it doesn’t stay that way, later it gets heavier in places. And here, too, Simone and Philipp growl like crazy. A great guitar solo crowns the whole thing. “A Coming Storm” starts, as expected, with wind noises. Before the keyboards come to the fore again. Keyboards and guitars dominate the instrumental interlude “Reveries In Blue”. This transitions seamlessly into “Homecoming (Sleepy Lies The Forest)”. And this starts with acoustic guitars. The drums are added discreetly. Overall, this is a calm and highly emotional song. Even the growls harmonise with this contemplative mood. In “Eyes Of Our Brothers”, the quietness is gone; electric piano, guitars and keyboards dominate and caress the vocals, which are repeatedly counteracted by evil growls. Occasional harmonic changes of melody and rhythm emphasise that Shadowpath is a Progressive Metal band. Shortly before the end, “Demons Within” is another overlong epic with a playing time of almost ten and a half minutes. The basic mood is gloomy. Strong guitar riffs dominate. Later, hectic guitars kick in, driven by fast drumming. Quiet sections follow. With evil growls from the female singer. This is where the Progressive club really strikes. “At The End Of It All” offers a conciliatory finale. A great piano ballad that manages without growls. Here you can fully enjoy Simone’s enchanting voice.

“Melodic Progressive Death Metal” – that’s how the band was announced in the press release. Fortunately, the emphasis here is on melodic, sometimes even symphonic. The progressive part can be heard in places and culminates in the song “Demons Within”. The death metal parts are not overused either. Sabine and Philipp’s growls are harmoniously integrated into the overall sound. An outstanding album from the Swiss.

Track list:

• The Lifeline Economist
• Outside The Tetrahedron
• Unwounded We Bleed
• A Coming Storm
• Reveries In Blue
• Homecoming (Sleepy Lies The Forest) 
• Eyes Of Our Brothers
• Demons Within
• At The End Of It All