Label: Scarlet Records
Review by Tony Cannella
When it comes to philharmonic metal, France’s Whyzdom have got to be one of the leaders in the genre. Okay, I don’t know of any other bands who claim that title, but as far as symphonic metal goes Whyzdom continues to be criminally underrated and underappreciated. With their latest round of epic-ness, “Symphony for a Hopeless God” the band has delivered an album that is so huge, so grand and so, well… epic that ignoring them may no longer be an option.
It’s been three years since their last album “Blind?” (Which was also great in its own right) and since that time Whyzdom have gotten themselves another new singer. By my count this would make Marie Rouyer their 4th vocalist since their inception in 2007. Even though she joined the band in 2013 this is her recording debut with the band. “Symphony for a Hopeless God” features 11-songs and over an hours’ worth of high quality music. The best place to start is at the beginning… “While the Witches Burn” is symphonic metal nirvana. It is a huge sounding, epic number and displays how the band has continued to grow as writers and musicians. Being that “Symphony…” is over an hour long it does deserve a certain amount of investment, but that time and investment is well worth it. “Tears of a Hopeless God” is next and does a masterful job of combining heaviness with their great big orchestral sound. “Eve’s Last Daughter” really turned out to be one of my favorite songs. This is a complex number with some cool changes and a great tempo. Other highlights include: “The Mask”, “Asylum of Eden”, “Theory of Life”, “Where Are the Angels” and the epic closer “Pandora’s Tears”.
I am so stoked with “Symphony for a Hopeless God”. I have always felt that Whyzdom had greatness in them and with this record they have put it all together. A job well done!
Rating – 95/100
Tracklist
- While the Witches Burn
- Tears of a Hopeless God
- Let’s Play With Fire
- Eve’s Last Daughter
- Don’t Try to Blind Me
- The Mask
- Asylum of Eden
- Waking Up the Titans
- Theory of Life
- Where Are the Angels
- Pandora’s Tears
Line Up
- Marie Rouyer – Vocals
- Vynce Leff – Guitar, Orchestration
- Regis Morin – Guitar
- Marc Ruhlmann – Keyboards
- Xavier Corrrientes – Bass
- Nico Chaumeaux – Drums