This is the first full-length release from the young Greek band with the curious name ETHEREAL BLUE, titled "Black Heart Process" and released in November 2004 on Deadsun Records. And the debut is far from a dud. The press sheet that came with it tells us the band "performs atmospheric death metal," but I'd like to dispute that stylistic categorization. The overall musical picture, to my ears, is closer to avant-garde dark metal with elements of melodic death metal. As practice shows, bands in the country "that has everything" know how to play this kind of music, and there's demand for it. The influences of Greek metal scene greats are quite predictable: from the "dark" period of ROTTING CHRIST to Septic Flesh, with touches of Amorphis at times. But these are influences, not minutes-long quotations. The record doesn't induce drowsiness or indigestion from overused riffs. Constantly shifting rhythms and unexpected thematic developments, completely unconventional moves, occasionally bordering on progressive territory. A good, "juicy" recording and precise mixing; the musicians' professionalism and high performance level are also worth noting. Thoughtful and carefully crafted arrangements, atmospheric piano and keyboard parts. The clean, distinctive male voice and Septic Flesh-style growl fit perfectly into the musical fabric. Throughout the album, beautiful and — most importantly — authentic Greek melodies and motifs keep appearing unobtrusively, cleverly woven into the overall structure of the compositions. There's really no point in singling out any particular track. All seven compositions, plus the intro, sound monolithic, with no filler. Perhaps only the closing nine-minute piece stands slightly apart from the rest, being more melancholic than the others, with a stunning ending that serves as an outro.
In every respect, this is pleasant and high-quality music that doesn't grow tiresome even after three consecutive listens. For a debut, it's more than worthy.