AMON SETHIS – Part III: Dawn Of An Apocalyptic World

For their fourth album, French power metal band Amon Sethis have returned to their original concept, telling the continuation of the story of Ateravis and his formerly evil twin Isias, as presented in their second album, Part II: The Final Struggle, which was released over ten years ago in 2014! While the previous album ended on a relatively positive note, it is becoming obvious that the peace is not going to last, and new plagues are going to fall upon the Egypt of the 7th dynasty.

Musically, Amon Sethis have always stood out for their melodies and their atmospheric work, immersing listeners in a veritable epic saga. All these elements can be found on this ambitious new album, but there is a distinctively dark and foreboding tone this time.

Apocalypse Now!

The orchestrations were one of the key elements of the previous album (the prequel, Part 0: The Queen With Golden Hair), and they can be found here right from the introduction. The opening piano notes immediately set the tone, suggesting that there is something rotten in the kingdoms of Ateravis and Isias. New to this introduction is the choir, which accompanies the entire album.

The first real track showcases a darker, heavier side to the music: “Lamentations” is a great opener. The riff is effective, and the vocals alternate between melodic choruses and aggressive verses. As on the previous album, the mix is excellent. The next two tracks, “The Curse of Ra” and “The Red Crown”, continue in the same vein. As with its predecessor, Part III strives to remain coherent without unnecessary length and succeeds brilliantly.

“Lord of the Dark Waters” is another memorable track, blending several contrasting moods. It begins melodically, then sounds almost like Doom Metal, and ends with an excellent solo and a fine melodic build-up. The next track, “Rise of the Tyrant”, is faster and more aggressive. Julien Tournoud demonstrates great versatility on this new album, delivering vocals that are as melodic as ever alongside masterfully executed aggressive verses.

Although this album is darker and more aggressive, it also offers some highly progressive experiments, such as the folk-influenced, original “Kubalatawa”. Or the almost ballad-like “Love Again”, which is another highlight of the album. The album closes with the highly theatrical and cinematic “There’s No Light Into Darkness”.

Final Assessment

While the first half of the album is highly successful and coherent, the second half is even more innovative and surprising. There are fewer orchestrations on this album, but there is a dramatic thread running through, thanks to the choir and all the melodic lines. Amon Sethis is thus delivering another masterpiece.

Tracklist – Part III: Dawn Of An Apocalyptic World

1. Dawn Of An Apocalyptic World
2. Lamentations
3. The Curse of Râ
4. The Red Crown
5. Lord Of The Dark Waters
6. The Rise Of The Tyrant
7. At The Threshold Of Doom
8. Kubalatawa
9. Love Again
10. There’s No Light Into Darkness