Existenter is a young female fronted Russian Progressive Metal band that offers a fresh and modern sound. Their debut album “The Planet in The Universe” was released on May 9, 2021 and contains 7 medium-length tracks, featuring one song guest Derek Sherinian. The opner “Prelude Eve” is the song with Derek as special guest, and begins with a pompous intertwining of keyboards and electronic hypnotic sounds. The riffs are granite and the drumming is solid and elaborate, enriched by tempo and accelerated changes, with leading bass lines. A track that immediately plunges us into the sound atmospheres of the disc, energetic, engaging and elaborate. Follows “Black Swan” opens with a powerful drumming and a good mixture of guitar and keyboards on which is inserted the passionate and dynamic vocal of Maya. More symphonic and heavier sections alternate, giving space to a good instrumental section in the delicate and dreamy ending, before the final verse. “Mother Earth” is more delicate and symphonic than the previous one, with a good use of the vocal and synth that drives the melodies. Softer than the previous tracks but well composed and performed with interesting ideas and a solid sound, with a good guitar solo section in the second part. We are in the middle of the album and “Ghost Valley” brings the sounds back to a heavier and more drawn style, between granite guitar riffs and excellent synth inserts. The rhythmic session is enriched by tempo changes, with a dynamic and constantly evolving drumming, while the song alternates more delicate moments with accelerated ones with a harder sound. The vocal is very intense and plays the song with pathos, which ends with a fine synth solo. “Cool Summer Rain” is a ballad that mixes more traditional sounds with Rock in the first part, and then becomes heavier with a change. With a dark atmosphere and excellent vocal proof it is an elaborate passage on the record, showcasing all the technique of the band. A winning blend of Prog Metal and Symphonic with modern traits and a personal touch that makes the track original. Pompous keyboard textures and heavy riffs open “Alexandria (The Winners are not Judged)” whose drumming is massive and elaborate, with another good performance by the singer. The voice is in fact one more weapon for the sound of the band, interpreting the song with passion here as well, enhancing its vocal qualities. The intensity increases with the flow of the piece which has slight references to oriental melodies in the keyboard orchestrations. The album closes with the title track “The Planet in The Universe” which is also the shortest in duration, an instrumental that encompasses power and technique. Given the theme of safeguarding the planet of the album’s lyrics, the melodies of this song leave us with a feeling of hope. A good debut for this band that manages to create intense and elaborate tracks, enriched by the tempo changes and the excellent vocal tests of the singer. A blend of Progressive Metal and symphonic features, with lyrics with important themes and a good compositional and executive technique. A listening recommended for lovers of the most modern sounds of Metal, a fresh and engaging record for a band that has a style with personal traits.
Tracklist
1. 1 Prelude Eve (Special Guest Derek Sherinian) (03:27)
2. Black Swan (04:24)
3. Mother Earth (05:47)
4. Ghost Valley (06:58)
5. Cool Summer Rain (05:41)
6. Alexandria (The Winners are not Judged) (04:36)
7. The Planet in The Universe (03:16)
Lineup
Anton Mityugin / Composer, Bass
Aleksandr Sidelin / Guitars
Miroslava Mirova / Keyboards
Anton Zaitsev / Drums
Maya Gitsina / Vocals
1 thought on “[Review] Existenter – The Planet in The Universe”