When sitting and preparing myself to write yet another review, this is exactly what I don't want it to become: yet another review. I think about the ideas, the lyrical ways with which to convey them, structure, avoidance of repetitions, plagiarism et cetera…

If I, as a lousy reviewer, am trying hard to give birth to a lousy review that will be unique and singular in a way, can musicians afford themselves not to at least give it a thought where song writing and album recording are concerned? Have we all so deeply and utterly been affected by the globalization of metal music in accordance to anything else faceless and defaced?

Look, I loved dearly anything revolving death metal, or at least I gave it a big chance over the years. Over and over again, was I disappointed by the same cliché's that had gotten old too soon, too fast, for they all mingled with each other, these were only band names, albums titles, without real content or personality. Over and over again the same structures, the same solos and riffs and vocal type, similar ideas, and when, rarely, had I stumbled upon a unique recording, it found its way into the hall of fame of my collection, and it gathers there dust, until this day. Metal music, after all, suffers from the same ill-natured herd mentality from which most of the human world suffers, it's all unity at all costs, even if we often dread to admit it. Maybe, in the end, we are all one, the same vast human tissue of which we are all atoms? Even when extreme metal – which should really be the epitome of originality and individuality – is concerned?

Yyrkoon are excellent musicians, they really are. They know their way with the tools of the trade, they are familiar with all of the genre's routine and dogmas and they execute their musical ideas - well – top notch. They even deal here with the somewhat chewed up but never the less still fascinating subjects of Lovecraft's bizarre and mysterious literary legacy. Whom ever has read Lovecrafts stories of perversion and monstrous landscapes, knows it's a unique reading experience, for it's kind of a literature like nothing else out there, in style, in description, in details and colors and creatures and the semi-archaic language of the English texts that lends the reading a somewhat extra mystery (as if it lacks any in the first place).

I regret to say that the ambition in translating Lovecraft to music remains still unfulfilled yet again, as this ambition sees Yyrkoon fail in conveying anything remotely 'Lovecraftian' with 'Unhealthy Opera'.

Yyrkoon plays a very dynamic form of death metal almost on the verge of brutal death metal sometimes, with occasional bursts of blasting, the music is almost-melodious on rare occasions and flaked here and there with some nice acoustic passages and solos.

The album is extremely enjoyable, for it changes in rhythm and structure in a way that constantly catches the listener's attention and in the bottom line, it really is a perfect death metal album due to the gentle and smart balancing of all elements that good ol' Euro-death metal consists of; A bit brutality, a bit melody, some blast beats here and there, nice acoustic parts, good production and the other 'usuals'…

It’s all somewhere in the average, as I really cannot say anything bad about this album, but then again, I cannot say anything really good either. It lacks personality in most parts, and taking into consideration how good the music here is played, I can only assume how great it would have sounded, had these French musicians contributed some character and individuality…

I regret to say I envision this album fade into the background quite rapidly, as it is a waste of a hell of a talent of a band that really aimed high but only scored average…

written by Chaim Drishner

Playing time: 48.33