Theoria - Mantra
I imagine that writing and recording several songs is a bit difficult when your country is embroiled in a civil war between Muslim radicals and a brutal dictator where no holds are barred and chemical weapons are in play. Such is the case with Syria’s Theoria. That this album is really good is a testament to the abilities of Ahmad and Besher, who are the only members. Ahmad plays all the instruments and does the vocals, but Besher does the lyrics and helps with the songwriting. The two of them also have a Doom/Death Metal band called Crescent Moon, which I really need to check out based on what I’ve heard of Theoria. Unlike Crescent Moon, Theoria is Black Metal. Stylistically, I’m having some trouble finding a band to mention that is similar, because on one hand their playing is very familiar, but at the same time, they’ve included elements that make them different from others in their genre. The keyboards bring a lot of additional complexity and atmosphere to the early tracks. The first two, “Sons of Past’s Decay” and “Inner Tempests,” have very basic guitar parts, sounding the most like standard European Black Metal. The last two (of five), though, are the best. “Theoria” starts off fairly similar to the earlier tracks, but develops into a more atmospheric song that incorporates melodic guitars and a slower tempo. “Narcissistic Veils,” the closing track, is probably the band’s best work. While it doesn’t have much in the way of vocals, the music is dark, heavy and full of atmosphere. I hope these guys keep going in the direction of “Narcissistic Veils,” because it’s really impressive. It easily surpasses the other songs, save “Theoria,” which is similar in style and feeling. This is definitely a band to look out for. If their next release is of the same caliber as “Narcissistic Veils,” this Syrian band is going to be putting the established order on notice.
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