IN REVIEW: THOSE CHOSEN - SHORES OF ITHAKA

Hello. Another one today! Izzy's taking this one. We'll have more epic posts this weekend... Send music shit to [ fosterhildingmusic@gmail.com ] or DM me on Instagram.

photos courtesy of Shores of Ithaka.

Shores of Ithaka; affectionately named perhaps in reference to Homer’s Ithaca, in which Odysseus lives in The Odyssey (yes, the same Odysseus who fathers Circe’s Telegonus and fulfills a grim prophecy--but I digress). As someone who came from a metal background, which was not of the melodic death variety, I was surprisingly pleased by this album in its entirety. I feel that this project genuinely opened my mind and heart to the world of melodeath and its neighboring sub-genres. There is a certain vibe that Shores captures which is simultaneously dreamlike and mythical--cozy at times, yet also brash, adventurous, and daring. There is somewhat of an emotional and somber journey buried within its lyricism and imagery, only further emphasized by eclectic stylistic choices and borderline genre-bending.

I have loved watching the community unfold around this project, and I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it! I've had the opportunity to attend many shows and help out with a small range of tasks from running the merch table to amateur photography. I can say, firsthand, that every person involved in this project is extremely talented, kind, and humble. I am very excited to see and hear their upcoming album, Evertides. The artwork for said album has already been released on the band’s social media and looks stunning, depicting a lone ship amidst icy waters. It feels as though the beginning of an adventure is right under our noses.

Without further ado, here is my review for Shores’ debut album, Those Chosen:

Ancient Stone Text. “Visions above the watery tide...” Starting with the ambience of crashing waves, we are lured into what would become an iconic guitar riff and then hit with classic death metal blast beats. It takes until two minutes into the song before we get some vocals going. After these growls, we are hit with some almost sea-chanty-esque chanting. The slow scaling guitar at the 4:10 mark is one of my favorite sonic elements before the breakdown in which we are lured into a slow atmospheric groove--suddenly broken by shredding. This song sets the tone for some later dynamic shifts in the album without straying too far from the core elements that would define it

The Ones Who Watch. The beginning synth and piano on this track catapults the listener into a floating weightless aether. “Can you hear them calling?” Is it aliens? Is it God? Is it knowledge of the existence of an alternate dimension? “The spirit of consciousness and the will of the human life / The watchers from above.” This song encourages faith in the listener that there is something out there bigger than ourselves, “The meaning of the mortal shell / what lies beyond the known.” The guitar riff starting around the 5:55 mark is fun and captures an epic feeling alongside the heavy drums. Overall, a very transcendent song. 

Those Who Were Chosen's intro is probably my favorite on the album--the slow tempo mixed with fast instrumentation hits. “Can you see my reflections? / They came from the sky / Can you read my visions?” lyricism which definitely plays off the previous track, but instead of the former’s more hopeful tone, we are met with, “They took my essence away / wearing the seal of death.” The acoustic guitar is somber and longing in energy, the drums that come in thereafter bringing a dark tone to the table. With the following: “The secrets of the universe will finally be known / The hammer of the gods will crush the petty soul,” I am led to believe that there is more to this idea that the transcendental essence has somehow soured. Rather, it is humanity itself which has been poisoned and the universe/gods are seeking karmic retribution. I would be interested to see if these concepts will be explored more in their upcoming release.

Radiance of the Sun. The title says it all. The beginning of this track makes me feel like I am dancing at a renaissance festival. Shortly after an epic intro we are gifted acoustic guitar, strumming away alongside a cute cowbell and tambourine combo. The intro is extremely jazzy and quite progressive for death metal. When the heavier elements of the song hit, they stay with a somewhat cheerful and energetic tone, making it nearly impossible not to dance. “The darkness fades, the daylight breaks / the sun will rise.” The breakdown on the toms is also extremely groovy. I cannot keep from smiling when I listen to this track, and it quickly became my favorite from the album.

The Somber Depths. The acoustic returns for the greatest intro of all time (it gets stuck in my head randomly throughout the day despite it being months since I’ve seen this performed). The twin guitars towards the beginning catch my attention, and then I am sewn between more intricate acoustic and piano segments. The vocals truly sound roaring in this track, the poem starting around the 2:30 mark reminiscent of old fashioned radio transmissions, still playing on the seafaring theme. The outro adds a touch of violin and fades kindly into oblivion.

I will admit this album was a first for me, leaning into the melo-death sphere. There are definitely references and influences that I would not be able to clock due to my lack of experience in this corner of the scene. With that being said, I found this album to be extremely refreshing. I genuinely cannot compare this album to anything I have experienced sonically before--despite it having some progressive elements and my typical taste leaning into the prog hemisphere, which I think says a lot about the band’s creative liberty. Shores of Ithaka is a boundary pusher, and I do believe that if they continue to head down the path they have laid for themselves, they will pioneer a unique community within the metal scene.

8.5/10

Stream Those Chosen.

-Izzy

See them live at Sad Dad Summer Fest on June 28th at The Nile Theater.