MAYAN - Quarterpast

I started listening to this album with high expectations, mostly because the band consists on well known and respected musicians. Mayan is the brainchild of Mark Jansen of Epica along with Jack Driessen and Frank Schiphorst, and the purpose was to play a mixture of Death Metal with Symphonic influences. But the music here is much more than just a Death Metal album, enriched with female vocals, and orchestral parts. The compositions are very complex, giving a Progressive feeling to the whole music, there are plenty of brutal vocals, enough Black Metal moments here and there, Thrash parts and Power Metal moments. All these blended wisely, and completed perfectly with the vocals, either the brutal, or the female ones. The most important thing is that this album aims for an open-minded audience. There's no way to tag the music, or to suggest it to fans of a specific style. And this, because the songs progress from the one style to another in such a natural way, that classic music can turn into Black Metal and then back to a slower part with female vocals, that leaves all fans with something to like. Of course such an attempt needs also musicians of high caliber to fulfill, and this is obvious from the first to the last minute of this masterpiece. So, open your mind, and prepare to be amazed, cause nothing can prepare you for what's on this album.

10/10