Year: 2020
Total Time: 39:57
Label: AFM Records
-Grandfather, tell us a story.
– For sure my children . Which one do you want me to say? Perhaps the Defender’s story?
– No, no, you’ve already said that! We want a real story.
– Oh, all right. Have a seat and listen…
– Once upon a time….
That’s how could the story of PYOGENESIS begin in 1991, when four promising youngsters from Neckarbischofsheim (a small village outside Heidelberg) tried to perform Doom/Death Metal, the ‘Yorkshire way”. The truth is that they managed to do it on their demos and gained quite a few encouraging reviews from the press and the fans, but when they were about to release their first album “Sweet X-Rated Nothings”, they added some AMORPHIS’ and TYPE O NEGATIVE’s elements in the wrong way and messed it up. The same continued to happen also on their second album” Twinaleblood” until 1997, when they’ve released “Unpop” and never looked back again…
Did I write that they never looked back? Well, that’s not so accurate because in their latest album “A Silent Soul Screams Loud” they also added “Pop Metal” elements, among others. In this recording we are able to hear almost everything in great doses, from KORN to ASIA, from OFFSPRING to AMARANTHE, a little bit of Power Metal (I mean Europower, not the hefty and masculine American Power Metal), a small portion of QUEEN and elements of Art/Progressive Rock, especially on the guitar themes and interludes. Actually this is the big handicap of this record. Someone could find some interesting moments everywhere and the executive perfection of the players is confirmed. But the problem is that all those ideas are naughtily thrown here and there, without leaving any specific memory at the end.
PYOGENESIS target group is mainly the local market (Germany) and they achieve this goal by touring to some great festivals. Their performance on stage is enthusiastic, full of energy and the crowd is having a party drinking tons of beer (perhaps wearing white socks with sandals). “A Silent Soul Screams Loud” is not a bad record. Actually, someone has a good time listening to it. But it’s not Metal at all and I consider it as a dishonesty trying to persuade metal supporters to join this style, in the name of open mind and tolerance they usually have.
– Grandfather…
– Yes, my boys…
– Who were those youngsters?
– They were …. PYOGENESIS! And they lived happily ever after.
PS. This review is dedicated to my chief editor, Yiannis Pousios who showed me the way back then. He knows…..
Rating: 4/10
Editor: Dimos Karadimos
Related Link: PYOGENESIS – Official Page
