Eidolon, the riff-cannon from Canada, is back with a new album. After hearing their previous release Coma Nation I can safely say that for me, Apostles Of Defiance is one of the most anticipated albums of this year. Maybe these high expectations led me to be a little skeptical after the first spin of this disc; a feeling that however quickly dissipated after listening to this new masterpiece a couple of more times.

These Canadians, led by the Drover brothers, have developed their sound and style since their debut album Zero Hour and Apostle Of Defiance is just a natural step in that evolution. Coma Nation blended aggression, melody and technicality into a perfect mix. This new offering follows down that same path. However, Eidolon have switched up the gears and turned up the revs. The album is faster and more aggressive and right from the opener “Scream From Within” this becomes apparent. They didn’t stop there: grunts, screams and rough vocals have been added to the mix while the keyboards have been tuned down and pushed into the background.

This brings me to singer Pat Mulock. My main problem with this album when I heard it for the first time was his vocal style. I could not but wonder what had happened to his voice. He sings lower than on Coma Nation and barely uses his great reach anymore. The only real exception is the third track, “Twisted Morality”. He still does a decent job, but his voice could use a bit more expression and feeling.

The production is again done by Glen Drover himself, in his own studio. Final mixing has been done by who else than Andy LaRoque and the sound is pretty much the same as on Coma Nation; heavy but maybe slightly clinical. One can only conclude that Eidolon deliver yet again a very strong album and fans can buy it blindly, without a doubt. The melodic “Twisted Morality”, a legacy to Coma Nation, the smashing “Demoralized” and the pounding Testament like title track; it’s 100% Eidolon and 100% original. If you dig aggressive yet melodic metal then this album is simply a must have.