Year: 2020
Total Time: 39:19
Label: Self-Financed
During the recent years, it has become a common tactic for the older bands, either to return to their original line-up (or to the more famous/successful one) or to reunite, wanting to reconquer their place in the music scene.
The ardent desire of the Progressive Metal’s friends was a new album from CONCEPTION. It is an underrated band, especially for the value of the releases that has offered us in the past. This fact led the Norwegians be disbanded, probably because they were ahead of their time.
So, the last year, a “news-bomb” exploded in the ranks of the metal scene. It was announced that, after giving some live performances, Roy Khan (vocals), Tore Østby (guitars) Ingar Amlien (bass) and Arve Heimdal (drums) intended to release an EP with new material under the name of CONCEPTION. That EP would be funded exclusively by the band’s fans. And so it happened! Offering us an appetizer after so many years of absence, this new EP was coming with a promise for a full-length release. So, here we have their fifth album, entitled “State of Deception”, and it’s time to take a better look into it.
This is an album that has nine tracks; I will not say that they are in the typical style of CONCEPTION because I do not think that there is anything typical in their music. CONCEPTION of “Parallel Minds is different from that of “The Last Sunset” and so on, besides this is part of the magic. I will say that this is a release that has all the elements that made them as desirable for the fans as we said above. Melodies, inspiration, sometimes a little bit more speed (don’t expect speedy tracks from “In Your Multitude” era) and above all this, Roy Khan’s voice still sounds like the old good days!
What is common in some compositions of different type, as for example “Of Raven and Pigs” and “The Mansion” (with Elize Ryd of AMARANTHE as a guest) is an element that’s not clearly “technical”. It’s a pervasive melancholy throughout the whole album. From the cover, which foreshadows the darkness that one will find inside, to the lyrics and finally the melodies themselves. Either because of the long abstinence from the recordings, or because of the problems that Khan faced with his mental health, the album has this tone of melancholy which we do not find in their previous works. Musically, this release extends from Progressive Rock to their well-known Prog. Metal style, including maybe some Power Metal elements, here and there.
“State Of Deception” is a true CONCEPTION’s work, from start to end. Even the unprecedented melancholy is made with their own style. Another positive thing in that release is the production, which is better than the previous EP. The guitars are heard at the front and in their place, the drums and bass αρε also heard as they should be. I also have to mention Lars Andre Kvistum who appears as a guest musician on the keyboards. A nice effort from a great band, which I hope will continue to record albums! We missed their quality all those years! I hope for something even better at their following album, wishing not to wait for so many years again.
Rating: 7,5/10
Editor: Fanouris Exintavelonis
Related Link: CONCEPTION – Official Page
