Band:	Persefone
Album:	Lingua Ignota: Part I
Style:	Melodic death metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	February 2024

01. Sounds And Vessels
02. One Word
03. The Equable
04. Lingua Ignota
05. Abyssal Communication

Lingua Ignota is no more, but the exploration of unknown language endures; Persefone announce the arrival of their new vocalist in style with a typically excellent EP.

February 2024 is going to be a significant month in Daniel R. Flys’ calendar; not only are Eternal Storm finally releasing their sophomore album, but his recorded debut with Persefone drops a fortnight prior in the form of Lingua Ignota: Part I. Flys officially joined the prog outfit in 2023 when he replaced Marc Martins Pia, but he was already standing in live back when I saw the group support Obscura in Autumn 2022. Having always enjoyed Martins live, I was disappointed to see him leave, but Flys demonstrated on that first tour that he was more than capable of filling in; as keyboards/clean singer Miguel Espinosa (who remains in the band) was also absent, Flys had to cover both harsh and clean vocals, and ably demonstrated his range. It’s range that is put to good use on Lingua Ignota: Part I, which is in every other way very much a Persefone release.

As might be expected based on prior releases by the group, the first song begins in atmospheric style with ambient synths and subtle electronic flourishes before gradually intensifying; listeners get to hear the new vocalist’s harsh vocals first on “Sounds And Vessels”, delivering aggression in isolation before the signature technical riffs and bright soundscapes take over. The technical and melodic intensity that as defined the band’s sound since Spiritual Migration remains fully intact, as convoluted guitar leads trade off with frantic melodeath and prominent keyboards on “One Word”. The thing that’s always put modern Persefone in a tier above their rivals, however, is their epic melodic moments (transcendent in a manner fitting their spiritual lyricism), and with the first instance of hearing both singers’ clean voices on this track, it becomes clear that this new formula will work well, Flys’ slightly grittier singing nicely complementing Espinosa’s richer tone.

The last 3 albums from the band have set firm expectations for future releases, and Lingua Ignota: Part I is very capable of rising to the challenge; while the EP format means that there’s no room for one of the band’s reliably excellent long epics, the trio of ‘main tracks’ here are very much to standard. “One Word” may be the pick of the bunch, but “The Equable” is full of gripping hooks, sumptuous laser-speed grooves, and huge vocal exultations, while the title track offers lush vocal harmonies and some delightful playing around with the rhythm of riffs during its instrumental sequences. All 3 songs would have stood out positively on any of the group’s previous releases; having them back-to-back-to-back is delightful, and the subdued “Abyssal Communication” serves as a fitting denouement.

Clocking in just shy of 26 minutes, there’s not a huge amount of content on Lingua Ignota: Part I, but what Persefone have included is once again excellent. I’ve not seen any information about what the plan for Part II is, but if it lives up to the standard of Part I, the combined results could rank among the best work that the band have ever done.