Sphynx,
Melechesh's third full-length, finds the band further illustrating its disinterest in the cliches often associated with the Norse, Swedish, and American
metal scenes. The
speed-obsessed trappings of debut
As Jerusalem Burns...Al'intisar were relegated obsolete by second album
Djinn, which found the Israeli group refocusing its intentions with a well-executed hybrid of
death and
thrash metal. On its heels came
Sphynx, a startlingly powerful effort that improves upon that formula on all fronts. Main songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist
Ashmedi masterfully and logically arranges every track on
Sphynx with his ear tweaked for maximum metallic devastation, and he consistently hits the sweet spot between classic
thrash and forward-thinking
death-
prog with every riff (no exaggeration). Every track boasts sophisticated arrangements and lyrical excursions, making it difficult to pick out highlights (again, no exaggeration), although
"Annunaki's Golden Throne" and
"Apkallu Counsel" are exemplary, offering dizzying, high-velocity tempos and lickety-split time changes; however, the band wields speed with a samurai-like sense of precision and grace, keeping the listener in the center of a disorienting whirlwind while maintaining a dynamic sense of melody within compellingly complex arrangements. Like its predecessor,
Sphynx is jammed with authentic Middle Eastern themes, i.e., the "ritual breathing" and percussion during instrumental
"The Arrival Ritual" and the layered, Egyptian-flavored melodies of epic thrasher
"Incendium Between Mirage and Time" and album-closing march
"Caravans to Ur." It helps that drummer
Proscriptor (also of
Absu) turns in a relatively restrained performance, keeping his trademark spastic bursts of percussive insanity in check, holding solid grooves within
Ashmedi's memorably intriguing riff labyrinths.
Sphynx also benefits from superb engineering and a warm mix via production/guitar wiz
Andy LaRocque, resulting in a thick, fluid sonic assault that doesn't sacrifice subtlety for power or allow the band to veer too far off the rails. If
Djinn was a refreshing oasis in the increasingly arid
death/
black metal climate, the triumphant
Sphynx is a jungle, exploding with life, stunningly relevant upon its release in 2003 -- and one of that year's best, if somewhat overlooked, underground
metal releases. [
Sphynx was re-released by
The End Records in 2004 with a bonus track, a cover of
Celtic Frost's
"Babylon Fell."] ~ John Serba
![December's Children (And Everybody's) [Japanese Edition SHM-CD]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/mimages/0000000000000_p0_v0_s192x300.jpg "December's Children (And Everybody's) [Japanese Edition SHM-CD]")
