ITP REVIEW: LYKATHEA AFLAME: ELVENEFRIS

BAND: LYKATHEA AFLAME (CZECH REPUBLIC) GENRE- PROGRESSIVE DEATH GRIND LABEL-Obscene Productions RELEASE DATE: (October 31st, 1999/2000)
PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): ELVENEFRIS (1999/2000-Obscene Productions) (Only label release-disbanded),Bestial, Mystical, & Spiritual (The First Spawn) (DEMO AS Appalling Spawn)

BEST RELEASE: ELVENEFRIS

TRACKLISTING: (LYKATHEA AFLAME-ELVENEFRIS):
1. "Land Where Sympathy Is Air" – 5:50
2. "To Become Shelter and Salvation" – 4:35
3. "Bringer of Elvenefris Flame" – 5:59
4. "Flowering Entities" – 5:43
5. "To Give" – 3:57
6. "On the Way Home" – 6:35
7. "Shine of Consolation" – 3:38
8. "Sadness and Strength" – 8:04
9. "A Step Closer" – 7:18
10. "An Old Man and a Child" – 9:12
11. "Walking in the Garden of Ma'at" – 11:14






ITP RATING: *****
PRODUCTION: *** 1/2
SONGWRITING: *****
PERFORMANCE: ****



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lykath%C3%A9
"As The Sun for the Earth, Let's Become, Salvation"-Lykathea Aflame

5/20/2012: ITP V.012 EDITORS NOTE: LYKATHEA AFLAME's "ELVENEFRIS" was RE- ISSUED, and REMASTERED in 2011 thanks to WILLOWTIP RECORDS.

Ahh, it feels soo good. ITP is taking the time to review what we feel is a classic and very unique death/grind release. The Czech Republic extreme metal scene has plenty of potential with short lived but very unique and influential death/grind bands. !T.O.O.H! and LYKATHEA AFLAME (both disbanded) come to mind as Prauges finest death grind lords.

LYKATHEA AFLAME changed their lineup, logo and band name to Lykathé, practically went symphonic and WERE working on the follow up to the critically acclaimed ELVENEFRIS before godly drummer Tomas Corn quit because of an injury to his foot resulting in neurological problems.
Too bad, because LYKATHEA AFLAME's ELVENEFRIS is a unique, epic, groundbreaking release that deserves an encore.

So here on ITP, we will review LYKATHEA AFLAME's only label release ELVENEFRIS, and oldie but a goodie, and one of the most influential extreme metal releases this decade.

LYKATHEA AFLAME's ELVENEFRIS opens with the track "Land Where Sympathy Meets Air" with it's unique middle eastern sitar like riff. There is soo much going on in this song, Tomas Corns awesome drumming, some brutal SUFFOCATION like riffing. ...Wait..At 5:10 into "Land Where Sympathy Meets Air", the riff switches from guitar to keyboards, same riff, but such a unique transition, an unexpected shift from brutal to melodic and you're floored.

"To Become Shelter and Salvation" promote a nu age, positive lyrical sensibility rarely explored in the gore obsessed, anti religious world of death and extreme metal. I must say TOMAS CORNS drumming is godly, this dude must have eight arms, an extreme metal octopus, with blast beats that are not triggered, and tastefully done with prog rock sensibilities. "To Become Shelter and Salvation" features two guitarists playing variably, one playing melodic riffing, and the other simple but brutal death metal breakdowns. At 3:09 "To Become Shelter and Salvation" slows down with gorgeous clean vocals and at 3:22, all hell breaks loose with an awesome and unforgettable doom riff that will get the heads banging, and horns raised. AWESOME.

LYKATHEA AFLAME (2000) vocalist PTOE's vocals are of the brutal, gutteral death gore kind, as the clean vocal transitions work well with LYKATHEA AFLAMES melodic sections and nu age positive lyrical themes.
"Bringer of Elvenfris Flame" eases in slowly with clean vocals and speeds up with a brutal death grind anthem of melodic beauty. Death metal breakdown riffing, integrated with keyboards and..Oh, the brutality, there is so much going on in this brutal tune. At 2:59 into "Bringer of Elvenfris Flame" LYKATHEA AFLAME switch to an awesome prog rock riff, \m/ wich will leave you speechless. "Bringer of Elvenefris Flame" continues with it's death/grind instrumental crushing speed flowing beautifully with prog rock transitions. I mean, that was better than SEX.

"Flowering Entities" brings the brutality and is EPIC. A beautiful, light picking transition is spewed forth and at 1:20 explodes into utter old school death grind chaos and brutality. At 4:00, "Flowering Entities" comes to an epic climax slowing down the pace: "As the Sun for the Earth, Let's become, Salvation".... Gorgeous..

"To Give" is just awesome in it's execution and is the most accessible song on ELVENFRIS. "To Give", with it's middle eastern flavor, melodic riffing, and enough brutality to get any pit moving.

"On the Way Home", again, explores middle eastern sitar riffing, with Tomas Corns brutal drumming. The melodic transitions, from prog rock, melodic death, to utter death grind brutality make this tune an enjoyable listen. Great melodic riffing, btw.

"Shine of Consolation" is just awesome, from brutal (and in the blink of eye) to nice prog metal transitions to good clean vocals and cool little riffs thrown in at 1:58..

"Sadness and Strength" again is another epic tune from LYKATHEA AFLAME with it's progressive death grind BRUTAL intro segueing into a journey of middle eastern flavored hope and dare I say it uplifting brutality. EPIC, this is your mantra.

"A Step Closer" opens and ends as a bluesy lullaby. "A Step Closer" flows into an anthem of melodic brutality with it's death to chanted clean vocal transition, and lightly flavored keyboards.

"An Old Man and a Child" brings the brutality, old school ala SUFFOCATION, mid paced and atmospheric with an underlying middle eastern theme.  "An Old Man and a Child" , the tune enlightens with a progressive metal riff  (5:08 ) as the song flows into a brutal uplifting and enchanting journey.

LYKATHEA AFLAMES ELVENEFRIS closes with "Walking in the Garden of Ma'at", a nu age, keyboard laden tune of bird song, (you heard that right, BIRD SONG) and the song IS LONG, 11:14 of birds chirping to nu age..Kinda funny, the best white noise for urban chaos, and a meditation mantra for the Buddhist in all of us, cleansing the soul, and looking for peace in a evil world.

LYKATHEA AFLAME's ELVENEFRIS broke every stereotype and rule in extreme metal, and enchanted me from the first listen. Nu age death grind with a middle eastern almost dare it say it Buddhist nature. LYKATHEA AFLAME's "ELVENEFRIS" features spiritually positive lyrical themes vs. the cookie cutter gore obsessed lyrics of other death metal bands. The variation of musicianship, prog influences, and creativity in LYKATHEA AFLAME were godly and I'm floored by this unique release.

A couple of small bones to pick regarding LYKATHEA AFLAMES ELVENEFRIS:
*Yes, TOMAS CORN is a godly drummer, it's just that the (steel) snare on ELVENEFRIS could have been mixed better.
*Some complain that LYKATHEA AFLAME play quite sloppy on ELVENEFRIS. How many of you are from the NICK BARKER school of triggered drumming? TOMAS CORN's drumming sounds organic, and awesome, although LYKATHEA AFLAME could play tighter in parts.
* A Little more variation in PTOES death vocals would be nice. I do like the brutal and clean transitions.
*Some people complain that ELVENFRIS is a "Gimmicky" release (nu age, middle eastern musical atmosphere, positive lyrical themes) and many say the same for NILE. However, there are no samples on LYKATHEA AFLAMES ELVENEFRIS, unlike NILE's first few releases.
*Perhaps better production and a remastering of this unique release will help people pick up musical nuances they missed on the first listen of ELVENFRIS. Every time I listen to ELVENEFRIS I'm enlightened to something new.
*Some people complain that LYKATHEA AFLAMES ELVENEFRIS isn't really death metal, what's with the keyboards? ITP thinks ELVENEFRIS is quite awesome. Atmospheric, progressive death grind of a postive nu age, and damn unique.
*Re issue ELVENEFRIS please..
Other wise, yes LYKATHEA AFLAME's ELVENEFRIS is certainly a jaw dropping and unique listen, a spiritual, uplifting musical journey. LYKATHEA AFLAME's ELVENEFRIS is ambitious, orgasmic, epic in it's scope and like a meteor shower, a once in a lifetime experience.

* WISH GRANTED:  LYKATHEA AFLAME's "ELVENEFRIS" was RE- ISSUED, and REMASTERED in 2011 thanks to WILLOWTIP RECORDS.

ITP RATING: *****
PRODUCTION: *** 1/2
SONGWRITING: *****
PERFORMANCE: ****



Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-