by Mike Avakian
Molybaron, a power prog metal band that stems from Ireland and France, is here to provide us with an absolutely brutal new album with performances and production that will spike your adrenaline and send you into another dimension. The band is comprised of Gary Kelly (guitar and vocals), Sebastien de Saint-Angel (bass), Camile Greneron (drums), and Florian Soum (lead guitar). The combination of their talent and dedication really shows through this brand new album.
The opening song and title track, “Something Ominous”, opens up, well.. in a very, very ominous tone, leading into a riff that escalates as it carries us into a monstrous drum fill that makes you want to clench your fist and punch it right into the sky. As the rest of the band joins with unison hits, Gary Kelly comes in with a performance that is mighty and is in the likes of Serj Tankian (System of a Down). As the song progresses, a Petrucci-eqsue guitar solo rips right through and into the heart of this beast; it’s like something from Dream Theater’s 2003 masterpiece album, “Train of Thought”. The song concludes with the catchy chorus and a carefully written and performed drum fill to close out the perfect album opening track.
Following right behind is the second track of the album, “Set Alight”. It begins with a vocal melody that is not only catchy, but a total singalong. With the entire song being very high energy, it shows that the band has extremely intense stamina that could give Metallica a run for their money.
Other standout tracks on this album include “Dead On Arrival”, which starts with bass that has a mean tone and a riff very similar to what Tool’s bassist, Justin Chancellor, would play. The intensity of this song is truly a high point of this album with the speed, playing, and energy performed. The penultimate track, “Reality Show”, begins with Muse inspired synths and powerfully harmonized guitar riffs, which continue to be the base of the song structure. Gary’s vocal melodies and rhythms are very carefully composed and performed with strong Devin Townsend vibes, which is ALWAYS a good thing! This one is a real highlight on the record.
The closing track of the album, “Vampires”, begins with a filtered and distorted heartbeat sounding synth that rises up bar by bar as a strong backbone for the lead vocals to cap off the end of this album. As the heartbeat comes to the top, the band then fires into a heavy unison rhythm. The verse is strongly bass driven while the guitar takes the backseat to provide texture. The chorus is so huge that it only makes sense for this to be the last track of the record.
Molybaron offer up a refreshing take on progressive metal with Something Ominous. Not only is there enough technicality to keep fans of the genre engaged, but is able to provide accessibility and catchy melodies. The songs here are high-energy, powerful, and sound massive, making this an album to pay attention to.
Released on Sept. 15, 2023 on InsideOutMusic
https://molybaron.lnk.to/SomethingOminous
Tracklisting:
1 Something Ominous 4:07
2 Set Alight 3:26
3 Billion Dollar Shakedown 3:39
4 Breakdown 3:17
5 Anyway 4:15
6 Daylight Dies In Darkness 4:07
7 Dead On Arrival 3:22
8 Pendulum 3:35
9 Reality Show 4:18
10 Vampires 3:46
Gary Kelly (guitar and vocals)
Sebastien de Saint-Angel (bass)
Camile Greneron (drums)
Florian Soum (lead guitar)
