ARRAYAN PATH – The Marble Gates To Apeiron

Epic Power Metal, better than ever

With astounding confidence, maturity, and production quality, American/Cypriot Epic Metal masters Arrayan Path are back with their 8th full-length release, The Marble Gates to Apeiron. The focus this time around lies clearly in executing their own brand of Power Metal on a higher level.

To the uninitiated, Arrayan Path’s previous entries, while great albums in their own right, especially IV: Stigmata onwards up to Archegonoi flirted quite a bit with Progressive, Thrash, and Symphonic Metal elements, and while the band sometimes did hit the mark, more often than not, the experimentation detracted a little bit from the impact of their music.

The Marble Gates to Apeiron doubles down on being a straight Power Metal album and focuses on conveying the epicness and heroics of the genre without flirting elsewhere. Up-tempo, high bpm and powerfully melodic tracks permeate the record unapologetically.

Production and Performance

Nicholas Lepto’s (Warlord) vocals are front and center, much more so than they were before, his voice being somewhat comparable to Fabio Lione (Rhapsody, Labyrinth, Vision Divine, Angra) but with better versatility. Although the title might hint at a concept album like the predecessor Archenogoi, that is not the case, with the lyrics handling themes of all sorts, from the ongoing pandemic to fantasy landscapes and mythology, always linking back to the human life experience.

The production is the best Arrayan Path has ever had, with a level of punch and clarity that is a clear step beyond previous entries in the catalog. Long gone are the Melodeath-ish guitar tones from Dawn of Aquarius, buried vocals of IV: Stigmata, or any other production flaws. The drums slam, the bass can be heard loud and proud, the vocals are upfront and center, guitars are the right amount of sharp and focused without dominating the mix, and the orchestration is impactful and stands out without failing to blend with the rest of the material.

Album Breakdown

Album eponymous and opening track, “The Marble Gates to Apeiron”, presents a familiar Power Metal formula in the family tree of Gamma Ray and Iron Saviour, with Arrayan Path’s own flavor. It’s one of the best tracks in the record, and if the chorus doesn’t get you singing along and banging your head, nothing will.

“Metamorphosis” dabbles a little bit into Progressive territory and European Folk-inspired melodies, but not without pedaling forward with a double-bass fueled epic attack. The chorus, with its odd signatures, leaves a bit to be desired, but the acoustic Diablo-esque breakdown preceding the last chorus more than redeems the rack.

The intro to “Virus” showcases the band’s maturity when it comes to writing epic Symphonic lines to accompany their music, invoking Therion-like qualities with both the quality of the sounds and choice of arrangement. The song develops into more of a Rhapsody-esque epic, with plenty of classic Hard Rock influences sprinkled on top that again pay a nod to Therion’s blend of the Symphonic and Classic Heavy Metal.

“The Mourning Ghost” presents with more of the same Arrayan Path has given us up to this point in The Marble Gates to Apeiron, and falls on the more Epic than Powerful side of the spectrum for the band.

“To Live Another Day” is more of a straight Heavy Metal assault, again taking the listener back to the band’s Gamma Ray-esque facet.

“The Mask of Sanity” is a more theatrical entry that flirts with cabaret-style folk passages and pirate melodies matching the lyrics perfectly.

A dark mass is recited at the beginning of “The Cardinal Order”, leading the way to a song that is more romantic and gothic than most in The Marble Gates to Apeiron. It wouldn’t be out of place in a Castlevania game and is a nice change of pace to the rest of the record’s double-bass fueled assault. Special mention goes to the bass solo interlude before the first chorus, showcasing Miguel Trapezaris’ prowess with the instrument. The acoustic passages spread throughout the song makes you wish Arrayan Path would’ve dared make a full song in that way.

The leading single in the record, “A Silent Masquerade” presents a powerful yet more tame and radio-friendly side of Arrayan Path, doubling down on melodies without shying away from being a Power Metal track to the core and rather epic. The bridge to the solo is worthy of any Rhapsody record with brilliant orchestration leading into one of the coolest riffs in The Marble Gates to Aperion, followed by another bass lead passage so good, there’s no way it won’t get you smiling on the spot.

Closing the album, we’re going out with a mutiny in “Black Sails’” pirate choir. One of the more mellow and experimental tracks in The Marble Gates to Apeiron, it brings a different shade of the band’s Prog and Pirate influences without being a full departure from the band’s Epic sound. The dueling guitar harmonies throughout the song steal the show, closing the album on a satisfying apex.

Verdict

Decidedly the best entry in Arrayan Path’s catalog to date, The Marble Gates to Apeiron sees the band inching closer to a sound that is still unique, but more mature and consolidated, and closer to reaching a broader audience. The compositions are still varied and multi-faceted but have a consistency to them that they had not yet reached. The playing is even better than it has been throughout the years – and that’s saying something. The band delivers in spades to new and old fans alike.

Absolutely recommended for lovers of Epic, bombastic Power Metal in the vein of Rhapsody (of Fire or not), Luca Turilli, Angra, Labyrinth, and Kamelot. The theatrics on display one-up most of the bands in the list, but managing to somehow not sound cheesy at all. There is a firm Metalness and girth to the whole material that makes it even easier to recommend.

TUNE INTO METALEXPRESSRADIO.COM at NOON & MIDNIGHT (EST) / 6:00 & 18:00 (CET) TO HEAR THE BEST TRACKS FROM THIS UPCOMING RELEASE!!!

ARRAYAN PATH is:

Nicholas Leptos – Vocals
Socrates Leptos – Guitars
Christoforos Gavriel – Guitars
Miguel Trapezaris – Bass

Tracklist

1. The Marble Gates to Apeiron
2. Metamorphosis
3. Virus
4. The Mourning Ghost
5. To Live Another Day
6. The Mask of Sanity
7. The Cardinal Order
8. A Silent Masquerade
9. Black Sails (The Nemean Ode)