Band:	Aephanemer
Album:	Prokopton
Style:	Melodic death metal, Symphonic death metal
Release date:	March 22, 2019
A review by:	nikarg

01. Prokopton
02. The Sovereign
03. Dissonance Within
04. Snowblind
05. At Eternity's Gate
06. Back Again
07. Bloodline
08. If I Should Die

It's rare for me to like a melodeath album and even rarer to like it so much that it forces me to write a review about it. Prokopton is not just likeable; it's delicious.

Melodeath (not melodic death metal) is a style I generally don't understand. I mean, why would someone choose to mix cheesy melody with vomit-sounding vocals? And don't even get me started on women who growl, especially when they actually have fantastic clean vocal abilities (Arch Enemy, Jinjer, etc). Before you start ranting about how awesome melodeath is, bear in mind that not all of us can appreciate a Hawaiian pizza; however, I admit that sometimes my appetite does call for a slice of pineapple to mess with my crispy bacon. It was one of those times that I came across Prokopton.

Aephanemer emerged as a one-man band and released the instrumental Know Thyself EP in 2014 with very engaging and uplifting music but it was sorely missing some vocals. They became a full band in 2015 and Memento Mori came one year later showing an improvement in songwriting as well as delivery. Now, their latest effort is here and, just like the previous two releases, the album title has a philosophical connotation. The term 'prokopton' refers to someone who is learning and progressing, however imperfectly, along the Stoic path. In modern Greek, 'προκοπή' (prokopί) is the noun used to express progress, growth, development and even success on a personal and/or professional level. So, let's see if the title justifies the content.

Right off the bat I could tell this was going to be a pleasure. The opening title track got me immediately hooked, being a nod to the Finnish ambassadors of the style. Much of what is heard in Prokopton wouldn't be out of place in a Wintersun, Kalmah or Ensiferum record. I am talking about seriously keyboard-heavy (poisoning dosages of pineapple) and super-melodic music with some folk elements, meant to fill you with energy, joy and optimism. Yes, I know we've heard it all before but how often do we hear it so convincingly crafted and executed? Aephanemer's songwriting has indeed progressed and Dan Swanö's impeccable mix helps the listener enjoy it in full. The mesmerizing orchestrations of "The Sovereign" and "Dissonance Within", the powerful riffs and the sing-along chorus of "Back Again", and the barrage of irresistible melodies in "Bloodline" are just some examples of the many treats this album offers.

Given what I wrote in the second paragraph, Marion Bascoul's voice bizarrely works for me and I believe this has to do with the slightly blackened timbre of her growls. The only time we hear her cleans is in my personal favourite, "Snowblind", which boasts an utterly anthemic character and epic progression, leading to a full-on symphonic eruption towards the end.

The band has chosen the longest track to close the album and take you on a final journey through peaks and valleys of riffs and harmonies. It feels like a celebratory culmination of the energetic, dynamic and uplifting slab of metal that preceded and concludes a record that stays with you and doesn't let go, even long after it's finished.

Prokopton is one of those albums that prove that styles and genres and tags are irrelevant. Against all odds, it managed to cheer up my doom-/black-/death-/thrash-infested self. Care to see if it can do the same for you too?

"Void comes from the self alone
Fear from what we believe we own
Stoics across time give an advice
May death be daily before our eyes"