M.H.X's Chronicles-Infinite Ocean

M.H.X. Chronicles "Infinite Ocean" is a good CD. Ok the breakdown, it begins with a nice mellow peaceful track "Overture of the Seas" where they bring the listener into a somber mood of tranquility before the the rest of the tracks kick in. Yet, when the first track kicks in "Conquest of the Oceans" you can't help but be taken aback by their blasts of duel guitars and driving drums. To get into the actual beat is a little long but well worth the wait. Really good production, drums, guitars, bass, vocals and even classical guitar parts are blended well whereby no one is overpowering the other. The vocals at times sound more like a metalcore rather than death metal, but easily understood, and there are parts whereby the vocalist uses clean vocals with duel growls. The growls sound a little young, but in time and being on tour, (and everything that happens on the road) his vocals will mature.

The guitar parts are very nice. Ok so WTF does nice mean in death metal? You're right, but the guitar parts are very melodic and complex. the drums compliment and match beat for beat the guitar parts. The technical complexity of the guitarist through his picking style and knowledge of chord and note progression is a breath of fresh air in a world full of your average metal bands. Yet they also know how to keep my interest by mixing blast and melodic beats. In other words they do not overdo it with the blast beats.

You know how you get these CDs and ever song almost sounds the same, well this CD is not like that. You have to listen to this from start to finish, in all fairness this young band kicks ass and really takes you on a musical journey. They manage to give you a taste of old school melodic metal with new 21st century soundscapes created by harmonizing guitars and keyboards with perfectly intertwined drum beats and harsh vocal landscapes. I really do not want to give these guys a 5/ out of 5 for the only reason that I want this band to keep shooting for something more, and you have to expect more and greater things from these guys.

The song "The Way Home" really captures the essence of what this band is capable of striving for in terms of melodic creativity. The song "At the End" almost sounds like a Cradle of Filth song, but M.H.X. is more creative and probably not Assholes like some members of Cradle are (Yeah you know what I mean if you met them like I did). Well back to the song, "At the End" kicks ass, this is one of those songs that you want to hear when you are working out, skating, driving your car fast or even when you feel like just kicking someone's ass for making you feel bad. This is the type of song to have in the background, really kick ass material. My only critique of it is that the ride was a little on the low side. I know I am nitpicking, but I have to, that is how they will be better. Again when you listen to this particular song, it really blends all of the elements of a good metal band and a feel for melodic music. Maybe these guys can go as far as topping Opeth (Yes, I did say it), and when you hear the last part of this song you will know what I mean.

The keyboard parts are really creative and change the tone of the CD and just when you don't know where they are going they bring it home back to with good guitar riffs and heavy drum overlays. Yet, the downside was the song "Outcry" and this why I do not think they deserve a 5. This song was the downside, it was too commercial and not really to my liking. There was nothing wrong with it musically the keyboard parts where technically complex the matching guitar parts were equal in skill and the drums did not overpower the other instruments. But the constant clean vocals kind of killed it or me. This is because the first part of the CD was so powerful and gave me a different feel from the second half.

Then comes "Havet" and the Metalcore style resumes but very technically proficient but they sound more like Killswitch Engaged but a little harder. "Amazing Grace could have been a more darker feel. For some reason I hear a bright sound and that may be a production continuity error rather than the musicianship. See every studio has a particular sound that they produce, and here this sound is very bright, because the musicians did not want to get a different sound and the sound engineer did not direct them otherwise. In other words the distortion for one song might not be appropriate for every song and here you really see or rather hear that in effect and that kind of makes the song brighter than a dark feel. Yet if that is what they were going for that is fine, but it does not fit in with the first half of the CD and that is why I say they deserve the 4 out of 5 guitar picks. But overall, "Infinite Ocean" is a good musical journey. A good way to listen to this CD is to drive to a mountain that oversees the ocean and just listen to this from start to finish and see how you feel at the end. Also be aware that the keyboard midway through on "A Winter Song" is rather annoying, you'll know which one I am talking about, but overall a good song.

I give this M.H.X. "Infinite Ocean" 4 out of 5 guitar picks.

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