Anthropia - The Ereyn Chronicles: Part 1 - The Journey of Beginnings

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Album Details

Title: The Ereyn Chronicles: Part 1 - The Journey of Beginnings
Artist: Anthropia
Release Date: 9/12/2006
Label: Magna Carta
Album Type(s): lyrics/libretto, Enhanced CD-ROM
UPC: 614286908723
Genre: Rock
Styles: Heavy Metal, Symphonic Black Metal
Moods: Aggressive, Epic, Ominous, Theatrical, Indulgent, Intense, Passionate, Whimsical, Searching, Visceral, Eerie, Elaborate, Literate, Sophisticated, Yearning, Dramatic, Energetic, Nocturnal, Stylish
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

Track Listings

Welcome to Ereyn
Question of Honour
Lords of a World
Through the Sleeping Seaweed [Instrumental]
Forgotten
Lion-Snake
Where the Secrets Lie
The Walk Among the Ruins
In the Maze of a Nightmare
The Desert of Jewels
Anthropia: The Chronicle of the Chronicles [*][Multimedia Track]

Additional Releases

Year	Type	Label	Catalog #
2006	CD	Magna Carta	0609

Other Editions

No other editions were found for this album.

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Album Review

The Nirvana/Pearl Jam/grunge/alternative rock upheaval of the early '90s didn't obliterate all types of '70s and '80s rock, but it did marginalize many of them in a big way. And if you were the sort of progressive metal artist who enjoyed writing about dwarves, fairies, dragons and pixies, your lyrics became very anachronistic in a world where alternative rock reigned supreme. But anachronistic or not, fantasy-based prog metal never disappeared; it flew under the radar but maintained a cult following well into the 2000s (especially in Europe), and fantasy is definitely the name of the game on Anthropia's science fiction-drenched The Ereyn Chronicles, Part 1: The Journey of Beginnings. Lyrically, this very conceptual effort is as stereotypical as it gets; blacksmith dwarves, nymphs, a succubus (no, her name isn't Ann Coulter), dragons and a talking horse are among the characters who appear in this epic tale. And not only is this French prog metal act oblivious to alt-rock lyrically; they are oblivious to it musically as well. The influences on The Ereyn Chronicles, Part 1 range from Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Manowar and Yngwie Malmsteen to Rush, Yes, Kansas, Genesis and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and there are Euro-classical overtones as well. No listeners will actually relate to the lyrics; again, Anthropia are -- like so many '70s and '80s bands -- selling pure fantasy and total escapism, and they are good at what they do. This is a likable, generally well-crafted disc -- a bit uneven, but well done for the most part. And while music this fantasy-based and sci-fi-minded is not everyone's cup of tea, The Ereyn Chronicles, Part 1: The Journey of Beginnings is worth hearing if one is a die-hard prog metal enthusiast in search of pure, unadulterated escapism. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Credits

Name	Credits
Quentin "QMB" Borderie	Story, Author, Illustrations

Member Reviews

Kenneth W. (Eyesore) wrote on 12/4/2007...

Anthropia is a French progressive power metal band, the creation of a young man by the name of Hugues Lefebvre (Hugo, for short). The Ereyn Chronicles, Part I: The Journey Of Beginnings is, as one might assume, a fantasy-based concept album, the first of three installments. The story takes place in the fictional world of Ereyn, ruled by Queen Lunne. As with most fantastical concept albums, the land has fallen into chaos. The main character, Amryl, is on a mission to find the "all-knowing oracle" which will save his people. A disastrous shipwreck, however, sets him on a separate course; one that sees him searching for self-discovery, as he rose from that near-fatal shipwreck with amnesia. Amryl is a hero in the loosest sense; he's naive and not so much a warrior, the typical character trait for a story such as this. Of course, the story is secondary; what of the music?

Musically The Ereyn Chronicles is a very impressive album. Heavy progressive metal is the main course; but symphonic metal and classical are also on the table. The album starts with the typical atmospheric intro: orchestration, chanting, etc. "Question Of Honor" follows and immediately makes its presence known with heavy riffs, killer solos, keyboards, a great chorus, chanting, and the one thing that I feel plagues this album most: bum vocal notes.

I can't hold much against Hugo, he's done everything here but the drums; however, while his vocals sound excellent for the most part, he occasionally hits some notes in a higher-range that simply sound a bit off. I'd say the average music fan wouldn't pick up on it; but one attuned to this sort of thing may find their face crinkling up a bit when he hits those notes. Luckily, it's not a common thing throughout the album; and, aside from a few mediocre moments, Hugo consistently shows his skills and songwriting prowess on songs like "Lords Of A World," the semi-acoustic "Forgotten," "In The Maze Of A Nightmare," and the epic prog-rock heavy closer, "The Desert Of Jewels."

Anthropia, for me, was one of the biggest surprises of 2006. The Ereyn Chronicles, while not perfect, is a very good album that does much more than hint at great music to come when the inevitable parts two and three are released.

Website: http://www.anthropia.org
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/anthropiachronicles