Band:	Persefone
Album:	Spiritual Migration
Style:	Melodic death metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	March 29, 2013
Guest review by:	greatesthuman

01. Flying Sea Dragons
02. Mind As Universe
03. The Great Reality
04. Zazen Meditation
05. The Majestic Of Gaia
06. Consciousness (Pt. 1): Sitting In Silence
07. Consciousness (Pt. 2): A Path To Enlightenment
08. Inner Fullness
09. Metta Meditation
10. Upward Explosion
11. Spiritual Migration
12. Returning To The Source
13. Outro

Years ago, in my cousin's dingy basement, moments after our first cigarette, he played me those menacing notes unlike anything I'd heard before: heavy metal. It was glorious, I was hooked for life --on metal, thankfully, not smoking.

I'm a lifelong fan of music most find repulsive (part of its charm, like black licorice), yet it takes a lot to digest a metal album. Even for metalheads, they're intentionally complex, rarely "catchy," and with so many sub-genres to explore, things get overlooked. By chance I gave an album I liked (but moved on from) another go, and am sure glad I did. Nearly two years later it's grown to become, dare I say, my new favorite OF ALL TIME.

I speak of the masterful Spiritual Migration by Persefone.

As best I can put it, this album (start to finish, in order) is art, inspired as few things are. The sum of the parts (lyrics, musicianship, cover art, themes, vocals, and a flippin' keyboard!) work together so well, I can't comprehend its creation. I'll rate it for the sake of this site, but it feels like slapping a score next to a brilliant painting at the museum.

The vocals are impressive, but I initially gravitated to the guitars which are highly technical and skillfully interwoven. It's heavy with solos aplenty and the keyboard adds layers of rich atmosphere. There are also several purely instrumental tracks throughout, which are unbelievably beautiful named for different styles of meditation and feature piano compositions.

I hear potential in their earlier releases, but feel Spiritual Migration is shoulders above Shin-Ken. Persefone have matured in their sound and completed their opus. I can listen to it on repeat for as long as I'm stranded on this island.

At its (*ahem*) Core, it's a compelling work of philosophy (think: "Zen and the Art of Mosh-Pitting"). With little repetition, Spiritual Migration weaves a beautiful narrative from us as individuals, to our connection with "Gaia," and fittingly terminates in our journey through death. I'm humbled by the singer's world view, something akin to "The Secret" but without the book-sales "What you see outside reflects what you have inside --you create your reality," "everything we live, are chances to grow?. there's no punishment."

It's an inspiring album. It's inspiring me to write these words right now.

This may never be your favorite, but if you appreciate various metal I implore you to give it a serious listen from start to finish. It became the perfect album to complement a period in my life (learning to meditate, perspective on the rat race...). As I personally reach new levels of consciousness, having an album encourage me to "become the mighty god we all have inside" is just what I need for the coming migration.