THIS WEEK I’M LISTENING TO...ETHEREAL – Downfall (independent)

Originally coming together back in 1997 under the watchful eye of frontman Hugo Soares Ethereal are a Portuguese progressive metal band who released two albums – ‘The Dreams Of Yearning’ in 2003 and ‘Towers Of Isolation’ three years later – before hitting the buffers in 2008. After thirteen years of other projects the original line-up reunited in 2021 (albeit with the addition of a third guitarist Pedro Arsénio) and, preceded by two singles, have now unveiled their third – and most ambitious – album ‘Downfall’.

Alongside Soares and Arsénio, the Ethereal roll-call is completed by vocalist Cristina Lopes, guitarists Marco Agostinho and Carlos Monteiro, keyboard player Mário Serrano, bassist Jorge Bentes and drummer Miguel Ledo and, as perhaps might be expected of an eight-piece band conjuring up largely lengthy material, ‘Downfall’ is a rich and expansive album. Its seven songs embrace a wide variety of styles with symphonic and doom elements, clean and cookie monster vocals and a fabulous interplay between singers Soares and Lopes. While opener ‘Betrayal’ is (relatively) short, direct and punchy, elsewhere the songs are more capacious, evolving over between six to nine minutes and revealing layers of intricate musicianship. The album closer and title track is ‘Downfall’’s tour de force, opening with a low-key piano refrain and building unhurriedly into a powerful yet cleverly understated composition of rare beauty which showcases perfectly the collective talent of the band. Elsewhere, ‘Turmoil’ is a wonderful vehicle for both vocalists in turn, while ‘Master The Last Peaceful Journey’ is an incredibly clever composition with a straight-ahead riff and some fabulous soloing. But, that said, there’s no padding on this album, no filler. It’s a cohesive and comprehensive body of work that really cries out to be heard in one sitting.

It’s not often you come across something new and invigorating but this band’s flair and execution make them stand head and shoulders above many of their peers. Although I’m guessing that not too many people heard of Ethereal back in the early days, with the release of ‘Downfall’ – if there’s any justice in this world – that should change. This is a band you want to discover. Trust me on this.

For more information contact etherealrealm@gmail.com

Video clips:
‘Betrayal’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ_FSLuH0KQ
‘The Allure Of Daryah’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KstMKyib-O0

John Tucker October 2024