Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Demon Hunter - The Triptych (2005)
It took just 3 years for Solid State metalcore band Demon Hunter to reach the pinnacle of success. Before reaching the very top of fame, the band's second album Summer of Darkness and its singles already had attention fueled up from major magazines and MTV2's Headbanger's Ball. Then there are a couple lineup changes with the new members being guitarist Ethan Luck from ska band The O.C. Supertones and drummer Timothy "Yogi" Watts from rock band The Lonely Hearts.
Earlier fans might've expected a more melodic change in sound, but nope! The band's third album The Triptych is three times better than their earlier albums in different ways including production, brutality, and growling vocals. They have 3 limited edition cover arts to fit the "#3" theme!
"The Flame That Guides Us Home" is the album's 30-second intro that is just Nightwish-esque female opera choir, as the first actual song starts to rise. "Not I" kicks off the heaviness with a fast guitar riff and Ryan Clark's Slipknot-like growling. He starts doing some clean singing in the chorus. At around the 3-minute mark, the riffs become heavier in tone and a brief sample from the album intro is heard before Ryan continues his growls. One of the heaviest songs on the album! "Undying" is another heavy song to remember, starting with smooth drumming and a catchy riff. Ryan's growls don't stand out much, but it's made up by the clean-sung chorus. The song has some of the best lyrics and better flow than the previous track. "Relentless Intolerance" has strong riffs, relentless beats, and growling. Good lyrics and flow, but there's a weak chorus.
"Deteriorate" is the first ballad in this album, beginning with slow acoustic guitar. Then the song picks up with Ryan's amazing clean singing. The lyrics are some of the best in the Christian realm of metal. One of the best songs here! "The Soldier’s Song" is the heaviest track in this album, beginning with fast riffs and drums. There are some clean vocals, but not as much as other songs, creating a nice flow. This is meant to be a tribute to fallen soldiers at wars and it really stands out, though not as much as some other songs. Then it ends with the sound of a war march. "Fire To My Soul" starts steady with a static beat before the crushing guitar riffs come in. It has a similar flow to some of the earlier heavier songs in the album, though having another weak chorus. "One Thousand Apologies" starts with slow and steady drumming with riff aura. It is another ballad that's heavier than "Deteriorate" but not as strong. There's still some growling but just for the 20-second bridge. One of the best songs with amazing lyrics!
"The Science Of Lies" rises slowly with static before being taken over by riffs. Another decently heavy track though it has the weakest lyrics. Ryan Clark still does impressive vocals there. "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" is a neck-snapping cover of a Prong song. This is the only song with no clean vocals, but they really created a catchy riff and tune. Great cover! "Ribcage" is the last track in the album to have any heaviness. It starts with a loud rising blast of guitar riffs. The clean chorus is really impressive, but the growls sound a little off. "The Tide Began To Rise" has beautiful piano and violins, followed by Ryan's clean atmospheric voice that start the song, which is the 3rd and last ballad here. Aside from the weird ambient background break, this is a good song that could use a little more work to fix the flow. Still a great happy ending!
Even though The Triptych is a tad softer than most other Demon Hunter efforts, fans of the band, whether or not they have listen to their first two albums, would enjoy plenty of stuff in this album. Well this wouldn't be completely appropriate for anyone struggling with depression. There's never anything super-negative in this album, and Demon Hunter has once again put themselves some place prominent in the world of metal. The only other album this awesome is The World is a Thorn, and who knows when they would have a more amazing album in the future... Anyway, The Triptych is still totally timeless!
Favorites: "Not I", "Undying", "Deteriorate", "One Thousand Apologies", "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck"