Band: Gwyllion
Title: The Edge Of All I Know
Label: Black Bards Entertainment
Distribution: Sonic Rendezvous
Release date: May 2009.
Review: CD

Gwyllion are a horde with former members of Rhymes Of Destruction, but the music this formation performs has nothing to do with RoD’s original and unique blackish Metal.
The Edge Of All I Know has duration of fifty two minutes and was recorded at the SAD Studio, while the mix and production (+ mastering) took place at Fascination Street with Jens Bogren (of Draconian / Stream Of Passion / Amon Amarth / Oceans Of Sadness / Opeth / …-fame).
Gwyllion sometimes is called a ‘female-fronted band’, which is nowadays a pretty easy definition of Metal bands with a female vocalist, but it sort of covers different styles (especially Gothic Metal). Besides, ‘female-fronted’ is rather present in Belgium and Holland, which makes it even more evident to label Gwyllion as such a formation. However, Gwyllion’s music can’t be compared to, let’s say, Epica, Autumn, The Gathering etc at all (just like it is impossible to compare all those bands with each other either - as mentioned before: it is a too-easy definition). The rhythmic and rather catchy tracks are more Heavy / Power Metal-influenced with a symphonic back ground and an epic approach. The operatic tracks have something ‘modern’, yet at the same time, the whole sounds timeless. Besides, even though the riffs aren’t that experimental at all, the whole has something progressive too, mainly caused by the keyboard lines and different intermezzos. Some parts, by the way, are rather ‘emotional’ (Beyond Goodbye, Angelheart amongst others), but without that fake Emo-approach, while others are more introspective and/or confident.
The Debonnet-brothers know what ‘having an own face’ means. They were unique as Rhymes Of Destruction, and that’s what they are right now too.
Released through the upcoming German label Black Bards Entertainment (Mindcrime, Adorned Blood, Interitus Dei, Lyriel a.o.).

75/100

Ivan Tibos.