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It’s almost simple to accuse Nashville’s Oblivion Myth as a band mired in either self-absorption or stasis, because not only is Between Light and Shadow a reheated version of an earlier self-titled album with a different vocalist – itself recorded twice with two disparate lineups – but it’s since been re-re-re-released with the band’s new singer Sterling Whitmill. The practice of slapping a new coat of paint on an old car is becoming a most odious trend in metal these days and it’s high time that someone called out the likes of Iced Earth, Arch Enemy and a dozen other offenders: you made those albums already, move on, live with it. Anyhow, dealing with the album under consideration, is this third time a charm? For the most part, yes. As the band’s name rightfully suggests, this is somewhere between power and prog metal, adept personnel hawking their wares with a healthy dose of bash-it-out intensity that pushes this occasionally and healthily into the thrash (or ‘80s power metal) realm. I’m feeling early Symphony X and Evergrey, or Kamelot when they were still recording analog, maybe a touch of Steel Prophet with Destiny's End choral phrasing by erstwhile Fatal Opera singer Andy Freeman, who also produces this thing with workmanlike proficiency. There isn’t a song here that wouldn’t benefit from some pruning and trimming, but overall it makes for a fine debut...and sophomore...and follow-up...and fourth record. Thankfully, the band seems to have gotten past some of this navel-gazing and recorded a proper second album, seemingly due any day now.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Gathering of Souls |
| 2. Dimensions |
| 3. Believer Deceiver |
| 4. Knightserrant |
| 5. Evil of All Corners |
| 6. Twilight Dementia |
| 7. Mirroracle |
| 8. Mystique |
: 48:07
| Buy other Oblivion Myth albums |
