M.H.X.’s Chronicles - Infinite Ocean

M.H.X.’s Chronicles

Infinite Ocean

by K.M. Gillespie at 23 September 2015, 10:00 PM

One of the most characteristic traits of M.H.X.’s CHRONICLES is that of their true musical devotion to melodic death metal. Never digressing far from the typical and expected musical patterns and rhythms this genre poses, M.H.X.’s CHRONICLES’ “Infinite Ocean” rises above in its unusual, but striking ability to maintain that traditional melodic death drive while simultaneously delivering more contemporary and fresh verses and riffs. The moment you open up this ten-track piece, you’re made immediately aware of the how the more progressive and heavy elements of the tracks are written with the express intent of counterbalancing the more melodic, soothing tracks like “Moon and Sea” and nearer to the end of “The Winter Song”—which deliver quite a helpful fixing of ear candy. “Infinite Ocean”, as a whole, is almost comparable to an ocean. In that in all its unfathomable vastness, it is still something to be explored and understood.

In listening to, or rather, understanding “Infinite Ocean”, I could not help but draw such musical similarities in groups like AMON AMARTH and IN FLAMES whose melodic approach to song writing has been responsible for some of the most memorable guitar riffs which easily have left their mark. And I found it just the same with this album, only here M.H.X.’s CHRONICLES produces sounds with greater clarity and thought-provocation; tracks like “Overture of the Seas”, “Havet” and “Castles in the Sand” deliver that same melodic death sound we come to expect, only Murillo H. Xavier’s harsh/clean vocal combinations and guitar playing joined by the clear and robust riff work of Michel Oliveira leave more of a mark than ever.

Musically and instrumentally speaking, the delicate balance of melodies and aggressiveness never seems to lean one side. What’s truly amazing with M.H.X.’s CHRONICLES’ new full-track record is how Xavier, Carvalho, Oliveira and Ribeiro each manage to leave such an impressionable mark as individuals, but do it so by all working together in what turns out to be the beautiful and melodic monster that is “Infinite Ocean”. I am incredibly impressed with this one!