Reviews list for Mechina - Conqueror (2011)

I had a lot of fun listening to Mechina's Acheron, although I probably would've enjoyed it more when I still into highly epic melodic styles of metal, and the second half could've been improved. Today we go further into the epic sci-fi cyber metal world of Mechina by taking on the band's second album, Conqueror. It is the album that expanded upon the one-off story of their 2005 debut The Assembly of Tyrants and turned it into the saga the band is known for...

I find some good material to please my ears, as Conqueror shows the welcoming signs of their evolving sound to come. I should check out the in-between albums Empyrean and Xenon some time. Though what's different from Acheron is the simpler shorter songs instead of the long complex epics. So that's one reason to knock off a half-star.

Intro "Incipient Tragoedia" has some female vocal melody floating over cinematic orchestra. Then the guitars crash in right away in "Pray to the Winds" with its heavy djenty riffing. The guitar and orchestra are never buried against each other, they are in the right balance. A true symphonic blessing! Keep that in mind before this Meshuggah-powered Sybreed-like sound goes a bit downhill. Exhibit A being "Anti-Theist" with its unbalanced atmosphere and vocalist David Holch's poor attempt at clean singing.

"Non Serviam" also has that issue, but the blend of epicness and heaviness overlooks it and makes the song a better standout. Another instrumental composition "[Error 36:48.58/Connection Lost]" has nice orchestra, yet it's easily skippable. Though not as awful as "Internecion" which is the worst, most flat-sounding sh*tter here.

However, it then goes straight to the best song here, "The Iron Law", the perfect soundtrack to a sci-fi boss battle. The lyrics are definitely worth shouting along to, "TOTAL. SYSTEM. FAILURE!!!!" The title track also stands out well, though it can't beat the previous track. Outro "Ad Astra" can almost fit well in the soundtrack to the film Ad Astra, and the melody from the album's intro is reprised.

All in all, Conqueror truly begins a saga and sound further explored in Empyrean, Xenon, Acheron, etc. It's worth some good listening though some tracks could've been improved, and there should've been a long epic (which there actually is in the Compendium edition). Still the band knows what's right when taking their music to the stars....

Favorites: "Pray to the Winds", "Non Serviam", "The Iron Law", "Conqueror"