Entry 830 - Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor

Style: Epic melodic death metal with a tinge of progressive 

Primary Emotions/Themes: Balancing harshness, melody, progressive riffing on a razors edge while still creating some of the most profound songs within the genre

Thoughts: The idea of creating progressive metal is nothing new. Creating it with memorable riffs though is something that fewer bands can do. Creating it with a mix of harsh vocals and cleans is something fewer still can claim. Creating it with riffs and melodies that leave a deep lasting impact on me, well now that's something special.

Back to Times of Splendor is one such album. These six songs are nearly an hour in length with two of them reaching well past the fourteen minute mark. With songs that long they damn well better respect my time, and I am happy to report that every moment of this album has a deep reverence for the listener. There isn't a moment wasted with pointless meandering, everything is to the point and continues to feed the listener with riff after tasty riff.

The opener ...and the Mirror Cracked explodes right away with a massive riff. The first time I heard it I was blown back in my chair, literally. I was not expecting it. This is similar to the rest of the album, it's explosive riff after explosive riff. Even tracks that are not as strong (such as Fall) are still loaded to the brim with riffs that want to rip my face off... but with a strong sense of melody. 

The band isn't afraid to change things up either. Almost all of the songs on here, wither they are 5 minutes long or seventeen, they weave through different passages easily. The transitions are so seamless it's sometimes easy to miss that the song has moved from one section to another. Expertly done.

The real star here though is the last two tracks. A Day by the Lake acts essentially as an intro for The Sleep of Restless Hours. The ominous "But it came..." transitioning into the acoustic intro gives me chills, even twenty years after the album was initially released. 

The final track is a collection of everything that the band has done right on the album: powerful melodic riffs that leave me in a sense of awe, complex arrangements that keep me engaged with the song, acoustic guitars intermixed with tasteful keyboards. All of that wrapped up with one of the single best album closing movements I've ever heard. Easily one of the best melodic death metal songs in my collection.

Back to Times of Splendor is something that I never really thought about owning. The album is incredibly good, but all of the pressings for it are old and cost a lot of money... that was until the 20th anniversary version was released. Now the album can take its rightful place in my collection... another album that brings it one step closer to completion.

Written June 4th 2024