Technical brilliance with atmospheric layers - A review of Ariel Perchuk's Odyssey's Eastern Symphony

Despite hailing from Argentina, Ariel Perchuk's Odyssey is a progressive metal quartet that incorporates Middle Eastern folk elements in its sound as the cover artwork and album title Eastern Symphony indicate. Ariel Perchuk is the keyboardist and pianist of the band which already gives you an idea what instruments are particularly showcased on the band's debut release. The band sound focuses much more on a mysterious atmosphere than on progressive musicianship. 

The instrumental work is still great. Especially the atmospheric keyboard layers are quite prominent and the melodic guitar play is performed skillfully. Many songs have extensive instrumental sections that are though often calm and structured and never rushed or overwhelming. The vocalist is at times underused but has his shining moments and a quite passionate melodic voice with an almost operatic timbre recalling Italian power metal bands. The song writing is overall concise, diversified and entertaining as the song never go beyond the six-minute mark.

The best track to get an idea what this band sounds like is ''God's Punishment'' with its operatic clean male vocals, sacral keyboard sounds and playful guitar play. The Middle Eastern folk elements work best in the dynamic, playful and surprising ''Just a Dream''. The greatest keyboard work can be found in the diversified ''Reflections'' that varies from ominous sacral passages to organ sounds recalling classic progressive rock of the seventies. The fast-paced instrumental ''Dreams and Nightmare'' finally also showcases the talent of the bassist and flirts with a combination of power metal and jazz undertones.

Despite its talent, there is still room for improvement. The instrumental passages are at times too prominent and the charismatic skills of the singer should be used more often. The rhythm section could be a little bit more adventurous as the drum play is at times monotonous and the bass guitar isn't very present in the production. The album is often closer to progressive rock than progressive metal and the production could be a little bit more heavier, organic and powerful.

Progressive rock and metal fans should listen to Ariel Perchuk's Odyssey's Eastern Symphony as it finds an entertaining balance between progressive musicianship and atmospheric folk and symphonic influences. The Argentinian quartet shows a lot of promise and its debut album grows with every spin. The band could take the next step with a better production and even more concise songwriting for its next release.

Final rating: 80%