Evince Ethos: The Rise of Symphonic American Metal
Very few times in my “career” as a critic have I come across an indie metal band that has legitimately WOW’ed me, but Worcester, Massachusett’s Evince Mythos have done just that ten fold. Evince Mythos plays a brand of symphonic power metal that is very Euro-centric (and considering virtually the entire genre of symphonic metal takes place in Europe, this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone), but because this band does what they do so damn well, I actually think this unknown crew of New Englanders, home to a region better known for its hardcore and death metal, has single handedly one upped the competition overseas. Americans for years have treaded on the innovations of Europeans in many sub-genres of metal, but very few times have I been exposed to a band that does what they do better than many of those whom they have sought inspiration from.
The centerpiece of Evince Ethos, as any female front symphonic/power metal band worth their salt has, is singer Jessica Jackson. This woman puts just about any American female singer of this style to shame, and puts up a challenge against virtually all of her European counterparts. The way Jessica seamlessly melds her voice into the music whilst staying stoic is her strongest ability, and one that really promotes Evince Ethos to degrees that so many bands prior haven’t achieved from North America. Of course, a singer is nothing without his/her band, and Evince Ethos is comprised of unusually accomplished American classical metal musicians with highlights coming from drummer Brad Berk. This band is a seamless stroke of brilliance that, if given proper attention, could become the undercurrent in symphonic/melodic metal in America.
Revolutions in music have to start somewhere, and I whole heartedly think that Evince Ethos has what it takes to accomplish some impressive feats in the music world if they keep creating music of this magnitude.
http://www.myspace.com/evinceethos
CODY
“singer Jessica Jackson. This woman puts just about any American female singer of this style to shame,” YOU ARE FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT? Of course you can say something like that and make it true. There is no competition in this genre in America. You can’t compare someone to something that is non existent. The real Symphonic Metal voices come from Europe and therefore she should be compared to THOSE singers. I am sorry to say that putting this untrained singer up against Simone Simons of Epica or Tarja Turunen formerly of Nightwish is an insult to symphonic metal fans everywhere.
I have listened to this band on myspace and seen their show as well,and they are shadow of what a real symphonic metal should be. The only thing that gives this band merit is there song “Winer Shadow”
I have been in the Music Business for over 35 years, who even wrote this review must be young!
Dirk Van Regner.
Dirk – What exactly are you arguing about? I never said Jessica was better than European vocalists, chill the fuck out. All you are doing is comparing your opinion to mine, so fuck your 35 years of irrelevant experience.
Go read over what I wrote son, It’s not arguing, I’m pointing out a fact.
I am a talent scout for Sony Records boy, irrelevant experience? I don’t think so.
Sony Music?! You call that relevancy? When was the last time Sony Music signed a metal band that wasn’t already well established? 14 year old emo scene chicks have more relevancy than you do.
Also Dirk, he states in the heading “The Rise of Symphonic American Metal” and that “she puts up a challenge to any European singer.” Put on your fucking bifocals and read up…
Dirk, I can only suppose from your rant that you are either (a) a European who wants to keep all non-Euros out of the Reichstag of symphonic metal, or (b) a self-loathing American who goes to bed every night saying to himself “I wish I lived in Dresden” and admitting very reluctantly, only after a mountain of empirical evidence taller than Denali has been dropped squarely on your foot, that contrary to what your bleeding little heart wants to believe, not everything that comes out of America is shit. Ten-to-one says that if this same band came from Norway, you wouldn’t be half as harsh. Of course, you’ll deny that, but any idiot with half an ion of cognitive processing ability can see straight through you.
If you’re willing to judge a band by a five-song demo and a poorly-attended gig at a local bar with a crap sound system, then you probably deserve to be working for a label that only handles other labels’ second-hand deadfall. Comparing a fledgling local band with naught but a demo to show for their abilities to an established, touring band with ten-plus years’ experience, 6-7 big-budget studio albums, and full label backing is like comparing a Chevy to a Toyota’s engine block. A shadow of what a symphonic metal band should be? Pray tell, oh wise old man, what a symphonic metal band should be! Preach us your dogma!
As for the vocals, well, apparently your 35 years of telling people what they should be listening to and adding to the already pandemic groupthink that is robbing metal of its artistic qualities and saturating the market with dozens of sound-alike shit bands whose members would find themselves better used flipping burgers for a living has rendered you blind to the fact that it’s a matter of TASTE. Some people like contemporary vocals with symphonic metal. You might not, and that’s fine. True, Jessica doesn’t have a full regiment of formal training (although I believe she is in the process). She still writes memorable melodies and lyrics and delivers them with force, dynamics, and charisma. So, I think we can conclusively agree that the fact that you are a fan of symphonic metal is far more of an insult to other fans of the genre than is the fact that Evince Ethos is making it.
Hi. I’m the vocalist in question.
Firstly, Cody, I just wanted to thank you for your review. It was very nice of you to offer support for Ethos.
Secondly, I want to thank Mister Van Regner for his honesty. I have zero formal training, because I’m a poor college student and can’t afford it (and music is not what I’m studying). I admire the great symphonic voices of Europe, and can only hope that one day, I might hold a candle to them–right now, I do not personally believe that I do, but the motivation exists to better myself as a vocalist. I like to think that I at least have a raw talent which could be something, with some work. I am young, and have a long ways to go–I realize that. Ethos hasn’t had an easy ride to this point–and we are not in any way trying to pit ourselves against European Symphonic Metal–it is an influence, but we are tending to take a leaning more towards Modern Rock nowadays. And honestly, that’s a completely different animal.
Anyway–all of this to say that I thank everyone’s honesty here, and I hope this argument will subside. We’re just another local band trying to make it.
I find it interesting that a Google search brings up almost nothing on someone who claims to have been in the industry for 35 years.
You are all wrong, Evince Ethos is a black metal band.
Mr. anonymous? You must be with the Band!
haha WOW kind of sad.
Just Watch they will go nowhere, but play shit bars in MA.
Nope, Dirk, not in the band. A friend of the band, but not in the band. And yes, I like their music, which has naught to do with my personal feelings for them. Regardless, your infantile retort fails to address any of the points I mentioned in my post, thus rendering it a waste of bandwidth. But it’s fun to argue with idiots, so keep ‘em coming.
Just out of curiosity, if you hate this band so much, why do you keep coming back to this article to post meaningless crap? Is it insecurity, because the band you played with way back when your penis could still erect unassisted never reached the level of congruency and creativity that Evince Ethos has done? Or are you just a miserable pile of cells who hasn’t fully evolved from the apes, and as such, enjoys going around to random web sites bad-mouthing people who are actually putting their talents to good use? Business at Sony must be pretty lousy these days.
Oh, and how’s that Cialis workin’ for ya?
mr. anonymous this band is irrelevant to your life, quit trying noob.
Mikael Akerfeldt, thank you!
mr. anonymous, you simply can’t be older then 28, so when you grow up I will start answering your questions.
@
Jessica Jackson,
Hunny, I didn’t mean you any harm I do believe you are ok, but you simply need training. my advice to you darling is start training, and leave “just another local band trying to make it” because there are a millon of them out there. I have seen you in concert you aren’t bad, it’s the rest of the band. They all look like they play WOW all day and the band is just a side thing, and that gets you nowhere hun just fyi.
Dirk Van Regner.
Troglodytes think alike, I see. Dear old Dirkie boy, you chastize me for being young, and yet I fail to see the correlation between that and your inability to adequately dispute my comments. Admit it, Dirkie Dirk, you just don’t have a rebuttal. If you had just said “I don’t like Evince Ethos,” I’d not have commented here in the first place. You don’t have to like them. But you try to pass it off as fact that they suck. This is not a fact. It cannot be proven. Therefore, it is not fact. Doesn’t take a Harvard intellectual to understand that.
As for the “they look like they play WOW all day” bit, are you really living in this decade? The era of glam is over (fortunately), and it’s perfectly acceptable in metal to dress and act like a normal person. Unless you’re a black metal band. Although I do agree that the live show could use some work.
Dirk – Can’t be older than 28? The last time I checked the average 28 year old is well into adulthood and completely rational. In fact, until you prove you work for Sony or have any semblance of understanding of metal, I am just going to write you off as a troll.
Just mark my words people. Going NOwhere.
Dirk, it seems like being 35 years in the business didn’t brought you a professional attitude, instead you are being very arrogant towards other people, which shows that you are actually not a real music fan and that’s exactly the problem in expecially the American music industry, where people like you run the business. Believe me, living in Europe definitely shows that over here music fans are ruling the music business and specialised labels for this genre would have signed or maybe will sign in the near future this particular American band, because they definitely are here and there close to the Dutch bands.