{"id":118075,"date":"2023-06-01T11:00:52","date_gmt":"2023-06-01T16:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/?p=118075"},"modified":"2023-06-01T09:42:19","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T14:42:19","slug":"review-oryad-sacred-profane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/review-oryad-sacred-profane\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Oryad<\/b> – Sacred & Profane<\/i>"},"content":{"rendered":"
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*Aggressive symphonic metal noises*<\/p>\n

(This review was written by Reliquary Tower<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

Life is about balance. Whether it\u2019s balancing work with play, balancing time and money, or balancing your need to get up and sharpen your pencil during a test with the fact that you don\u2019t want the whole class staring at you, there\u2019s always something to find a balance between. Symphonic metal (a genre I listened to plenty of as a socially overanxious, pencil-sharpening highschooler) is no different. Too much of the metal side of the genre and you might find yourself in power metal territory. Too much of the symphonic side and you risk becoming background music for a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. But if you can manage to land it in the middle, that\u2019s where the magic (magick?) happens.<\/p>\n

Oryad<\/strong> is a Denver-based metal band whose specific take on the genre involves mixing doom metal with prog and then wrapping the whole thing up in a thick layer of symphonic. Each of the band members have a background in either jazz, classical, or both. The vocals from Moira Murphy, a classically trained and opera-hardened soprano, are without a doubt the most powerful influence from these genres. And speaking of vocals, the lyrics on this album, many of which come from her own poetry, do an excellent job of painting a mental picture of taking part in some kind of mysterious, mystical ritual in the woods. And I\u2019m pretty sure that\u2019s exactly what symphonic doom was invented for.<\/p>\n

I really like the guitar work on this album. Meaty chugs, pinch harmonics, and tones that occasionally border on being Animals As Leaders<\/strong>-esque adorn the record. The guitar sits really comfortably in the mix and doesn\u2019t crowd out the bass or drums. All in all, it consistently feels really solid. Combine the guitars with some jazz-influenced drumming that\u2019s peppered with occasional blast beats, as well as Murphy\u2019s prowess on the keys, and you\u2019ve got yourself a nice foundation to work with.<\/p>\n

Building on that foundation is where things start to get rocky. For the most part, the instrumentals keep from feeling out of place, but sometimes it feels like things get too busy outside of the traditional metal package. I feel like one of the most important skills in creating symphonic metal is knowing when to take things away and when to add them in. There are a few tracks on this record where certain musical elements sort of overstay their welcome. It can feel like you have to try to listen past the symphonic elements to hear the metal ones. As I mentioned, the guitar work on this album is really enjoyable. I just wish they gave us a little more time to enjoy it.<\/p>\n