Standing out in a genre as diverse as progressive metal can be a tedious task. The comparisons will always be made to bands like Dream Theater, the be-all to end-all for most prog fans. Persefone, however, has become the shining light, a beacon of originality for the last two decades. They have rewritten the rules and broken the mold of the somewhat niche environment.
This is the first new material from the Andorran band since 2017’s ‘’Aathma.’’ They did re-record their debut album, ‘’The Truth Behind the Shades,’’ in 2020. They toured extensively in 2017 and 2018 and have been working on and off on the new album, ‘’Metanoia,’’ ever since. It’s finally out and it did not disappoint. They take the genre to new heights of experimentation.
If ‘’Aathma’’ had a more melodic death metal, ‘’Metanoia’’ brings out the band’s more technical, inventive side. They take calculated risks and make the instruments speak for themselves. If you compare this album to the two previous ones, there are many more instrumental parts and long-drawn-out sections of songs without vocals. Almost A third of the songs here are instrumentals, but on the rest of the album, the accent is definitely on the storytelling.
This is the story of a psychotic meltdown, from introspection to serenity by way of downright. It’s the small and rapid descent into madness with all its phases. The technical complexity of the music goes hand in hand with the subject matter. The character has lost touch with reality and must climb over obstacles, one by one, to regain some stability. The album creates an intense, emotional journey through the crisis in someone’s mind.
‘’Architecture of I’’ is probably the most thought-provoking song on the album. The lyrics describe facing your own mortality, your own disconnection from reality – the most terrifying part of the problem. You’re face-to-face with your demons, the things that caused this breakdown. The fear gets to you, you feel like you’re losing your senses, but you’re well aware of the chaos embroiled inside of you. Lyrics like “I’m paralyzed. I can’t move, I can’t be no more/My fears are crawling from within’’ and ‘’ I am fading, facing myself, all these cold flames/Senses are numb’’ make You feel the pain, the anguish of someone who lost themselves on a much deeper level. The healing begins when you start using this time to analyze what brought you to this state.
Each instrumental represents a part of the mental breakdown. They separate the story into three parts, a great way to further the story and add depth and texture.
“Leap of Faith” is a sort of confession, the character is aware that the breakdown is imminent. He is ready to tell everyone that he has a problem – admitting is one of the most important stages of building towards recovery.
“Consciousness Part 3” is a journey into perpetual desolation. It appears the character’s mind is disintegrating, his inner life – his unconscious mind starts flooding his consciousness. It’s a war inside his mind – who will win, who will lose. Reality faces off with delusion and this is the most critical part of the whole experience.
The crackling sounds of A fire in the first part of the “Anabasis” trilogy is a sign of things to come. Even in the deepest parts of the mind, the light still shines through, the fire brings hope and peace. Our protagonist is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the aftereffects of his inner storm. The album ends on the instrumental part of the trilogy, giving it a sense of warmth, almost serenity. Part of the journey is done; there is work to do but our protagonist is in a state of inner grace.
“Metanoia” provides a true sensory overload. I didn’t think they would top ‘’Aathma,’’ but this album helps them attain a level of mastery not seen or heard for decades. If you did not know about Persefone before, this is the perfect introduction to this technically impressive progressive metal band.
