Chrysalis - Ekoa (Review)

Fusion of prog-death and metalcore? Well, that's some hybrid mixture of genres worth checking out. Ekoa is a band performing a fusion of progressive/death metal and metalcore from Poland. On March 23 2022, the band released their debut EP titled “Chrysalis”. The band expresses their music to be a conglomerate of modern and progressive death metal with connection of groove guitar parts and metalcore vibe filled in clean growl vocals.With their debut record being out now, I can’t wait to share my thoughts on it.

For a title like “Rooted into Grudge”, you might expect something heavier, grittier and darker. Well that's not entirely the case here. With melodic chords and chugs infused, this one is an interesting take on metalcore. The clean vocals on the chorus are marvelous to listen to. Despite being mid-paced for a relatively metalcore-ish composition, the tightly woven transitions and vocal passages are on-point execution. Even the super-clean guitar outro gives a melancholic touch in the ending. “The Stoic” is an interesting case to dissect - from using the 6/4 meters to maneuvering the open dissonance chords, the track has a very Opeth-ish vibe. Even the growls sound Akerfeldt-ish! Again, a minor clean passage followed by a brief guitar solo are some of the few characteristics Ekoa puts to a good use here. It's not a magnificent 10 min prog metal goofball, rather a compressed version of all the Opeth’s elements put together for a four-minute track.

“Delegation of Thoughts” is heavily grooved based with slight additions of core elements to it. The flashy riffs with hardcore styled drums shows a different side of the band overall. Also a long guitar solo - that needs to be mentioned. With a heavy metal derived main riff “Chimera” infuses clean vocals on top of the rhythms, which then bleeds into the melodic realm where the vocals shine the most. Somehow, the band manages to infuse the elements of heavy metal and prog/melo-death together.

The stuff Ekoa put out is surely interesting. Having a different approach, each of the tracks is unique in its own term and doesn’t come off as generic or repetitive. It's not a nuanced or complex record to perceive - built on simple blocks of passages and hooks, transitions that work well. The fusion of not just one, but many genres works well for the band’s music. While the execution of the clean vocals might have been better in the heavier portions like “Chimera”, it definitely does its magic for the most part. I love the drums on the record - sounds tight, punchy and fits perfectly. With a slight improvement on the production, the impact of the record would have increased by tenfold. Till then, let's wait and watch for what Ekoa prepares in the future.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Website: https://www.facebook.com/EkoaCracow

Genre: Metalcore/ Progressive Death Metal

Label: Independent

Worldwide Release: March 23rd, 2022.