Heavy Planet - June 29th, 2011

This band from Cleveland, Ohio continues to push the boundaries of metal and that is exactly what they do on their latest release "Revenant". The album is based on the story of a desert traveler in ancient Persia and engages the listener on a journey of sound, images, and text. “Revenant” explores the mystic, universal spirits of the ancients.

The album itself is divided into five separate "passages" Earth, Air, Interlude, Fire, Water.

The first passage "Earth" begins with a middle eastern riff then slithers its way into a nice doom groove. The song then chugs along amongst a tight bass line and majestic guitar solos.

"Air" is a little trippy with a crunchy harmonious dual-guitar riff leading the way. The song then segues into a killer guitar lead trade-off then transitions nicely into an easy groove dreamy sequence.

"Interlude" is an acoustic middle-eastern inspired instrumental complete with chants and instruments which sound native to the region.

"Fire" starts off with a tight doom groove in which the vocal is sung along to. You are then plunged into the depths of hell with a nasty guitar solo. As the flames gather around you, an evil laugh bellows and the flanged out groove leads you back.

"Water" is probably the band's most accomplished song to date. This song masterfully ties all of the elements together and makes for a grand exit.

These guys have come so far in the past few years and each of their releases has a true element of surprise and originality. They are true musicians that take a lot of pride in their finished product and it definitely shows.

If you want to truly immerse yourself in the overall "Revenant" experience read the companion book written by James Thorn that comes along with your purchase.

In case you didn't know, Threefold Law recently won the Heavy Planet/Soda Shop "March Bandness" Competition. The contest featured 64 up-and-coming heavy bands from across the world in a six week bracket-style tournament.