Atlas Pain - Tales of a Pathfinder (2019)^{Release ID: 11715}

How Many Sub-genres?

There are times where I look at certain metal bands and say to myself "Man, these guys have thrown so many sub-genres together that this might be the limit". Then comes along a group like Atlas Pain to prove me wrong, mixing Symphonic, Power, Folk, Black, and a hint of Viking Metal together into a singular album that is bursting at the seams and barely able to keep itself together. While Tales of a Pathfinder leans into the Power, Folk, and Symphonic elements much more than the Black and Viking, it begs the question: Can there be too much metal in a metal album? Bands who attempt to cram this many genres into one package are few and far between, and for good reason. Striking a balance between all the pieces you throw together is fine line to walk on, but Atlas Pain have found some decent ground to stand on amidst the chaos of their music. 

At its core, Tales of a Pathfinder is a Symphonic Metal album with Black Metal inspired vocals, but it takes so many twists and turns along the way that the only conclusion is that this is a confused project. On the beginning ambient track, with the help of the cover art, it paints a seemingly steampunk portrait with grand circus music and supremely awkward spoken word from a ringmaster. Sadly this atmosphere is shattered directly afterward as Atlas Pain launches into their signature style of power metal riffing with backing melodic guitar and orchestral passages. Add some confusing black metal vocals with a bellowing male choir and the full package of Tales of a Pathfinder comes barreling forward like a derailed freight train, fully unaware about where it's supposed to be going. 

As unfocused as it can be, there is a ton of great music in this album, with catchy and complex rhythms and great use of the orchestra and choir to create an epic feeling that is slightly different than other equally bombastic Power Metal bands. The male choir has great synergy with the harsh vocalist and the power/folk metal guitars play well off of the orchestration. The balance between folk and power metal inspired riffs is surprisingly well done, but tough to pick up on at first. Where Atlas Pain fails in their composition is the symphonic elements, which are way too overblown sometimes given how seriously the rest of the album is structured. The spoken word in "Homeland" and "Baba Jaga" is hilarious, the atmospheric tribal stuff in "Kia Kaha" is confusingly random, and the synth riffs in "The Great Run" and "Homeland" are a bit too cheesy compared to the rest of the album. The folk melodies come and go as they please too, which is a shame as they created some of the best riffs in "Kia Kaha" and "Shahrazād". 

Even though it has obvious flaws, Tales of a Pathfinder might just be a diamond in the rough for Symphonic or Power Metal fans looking for something different. It never really figures out what it wants to be, but through the haphazardness shines some great melodies, riffs, and moments in a style that I've never exactly heard before.