┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Arrayan Path - IV: Stigmata + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Jul-14-2013 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │ │║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2013 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........11 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Arrayan Path Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : IV: Stigmata Label : Pitch Black ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ 2013 has been a very productive year for the ║ │ │║ Cypriots Leptos brothers. After the highly ║ │ │║ acclaimed Power Metal album "Dark Gorgon Rising" ║ │ │║ with ASTRONOMIKON comes the fourth record with ║ │ │║ ARRAYAN PATH (former ARRYAN PATH) ôIV: ║ │ │║ Stigmataö. Successor to the opus ôIra Imperiumö ║ │ │║ (with the epic "Fall of Mardonius" being a fav ║ │ │║ in my playlists - though at some point I ║ │ │║ realized a strong reference to IRON MAIDEN's ║ │ │║ "Transylvania" in the chorus) it is put to the ║ │ │║ challenge of keeping up with a sequence of high ║ │ │║ quality releases. This time the band opted for a ║ │ │║ lyrically aligned story with Christian ║ │ │║ thaumatology heavily based on the Old Testament. ║ │ │║ ôIV: Stigmataö unfolds in twelve songs beginning ║ │ │║ with "Clepsydra" (Hourglass). From the beginning ║ │ │║ the intentions of the band are crystal clear. ║ │ │║ Galloping riffs, intense double bass drumming, ║ │ │║ majestic orchestrations and epic stick-in-your- ║ │ │║ head vocals the way ARRAYAN PATH know to ║ │ │║ deliver. The band unleashes power metal hymns ║ │ │║ one after another and one could easily spot the ║ │ │║ first one in "Midnight and the First Born ║ │ │║ Massacre" that is just ôbloodyö brilliant. It is ║ │ │║ not only the excellent musicianship and the ║ │ │║ aggressive riffs but the extremely catchy and ║ │ │║ memorable vocal lines that utilize partial ║ │ │║ phrase repetition. Indeed there is quite a bunch ║ │ │║ of great songs but the other song that could ║ │ │║ easily be distinguished is "Harbingers of ║ │ │║ Death". With a killer opening bass line, heavy ║ │ │║ riffs and another set of stunning vocals, ║ │ │║ especially in the chorus, it is shining through ║ │ │║ the record. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ARRAYAN PATH use traditionally a lot of eastern ║ │ │║ elements, which are extensively used in ôIV: ║ │ │║ Stigmataö, in songs like ôJudas Iscariotö or ║ │ │║ ôPharaohÆs Wishö. Traditional Power Metal ║ │ │║ elements of the European (closer to the ║ │ │║ Teutonic) branch are also found throughout the ║ │ │║ songs which remind mostly of HELLOWEEN and GAMMA ║ │ │║ RAY but also RHAPSODY. As such the guitar riffs ║ │ │║ use a lot of galloping and the leads have that ║ │ │║ distinct Arabic touch, which is native influence ║ │ │║ since the roots of the band are from an island ║ │ │║ that is neighbor to those nations. The solos are ║ │ │║ exceptional, and one could expect nothing less ║ │ │║ from such a talented guitarist as Socrates ║ │ │║ Leptos. Original member Stefan Dittrich on the ║ │ │║ drums along with Paris Lambrou on the bass form ║ │ │║ a well-oiled battle machine that brings ║ │ │║ onslaught to the battlefield with its precision ║ │ │║ and dynamic presence. The keyboards by George ║ │ │║ Kallis while not being in the front are making ║ │ │║ the songs even more majestic and with the choirs ║ │ │║ are branding ôIV: Stigmataö with the word epic ║ │ │║ in bold capital letters. Last but not least, ║ │ │║ Nicholas Leptos is giving a hell of a ║ │ │║ performance with amazing vocal lines and a ║ │ │║ perfect management of his emotions; other times ║ │ │║ sounding theatrical, other angelic and other ║ │ │║ harsh and aggressive. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Where most musicians would have failed with two ║ │ │║ releases in such a short margin, ARRAYAN PATH ║ │ │║ are just ignoring this, delivering a record that ║ │ │║ has nothing to relate to ASTRONOMIKON and yet ║ │ │║ managing to keep up with the great releases of ║ │ │║ the band. Actually it is way better than ôDark ║ │ │║ Gorgon Risingö or the previous material of the ║ │ │║ band as it more coherent and developed material. ║ │ │║ In fact ôIV: Stigmataö with songs like "Midnight ║ │ │║ and the First Born Massacre", ôJudas Iscariotö ║ │ │║ and "Harbingers of Death" or even the rendition ║ │ │║ of ôMystic Moonö from the bandÆs first demo show ║ │ │║ only one thing; that ARRAYAN PATH evolve and ║ │ │║ become more mature as individuals and as a unit ║ │ │║ and will surprise us even more in the future ║ │ │║ with their talent. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - Clepsydra [05:03] │ │ 02 - The Bible Bleeds [04:45] │ │ 03 - Midnight And The First-Born Massacre [05:39] │ │ 04 - Judas Iscariot [05:50] │ │ 05 - Stigmata [06:30] │ │ 06 - Cursed Canaan [04:35] │ │ 07 - Paraoh┤s Wish [04:16] │ │ 08 - Harbingers Of Death [04:14] │ │ 09 - Disguising Your Soul [05:21] │ │ 10 - The Storyteller [06:16] │ │ 11 - Mystic Moon (Bonus Track) [04:54] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [57:23 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘