Noizy – Polysyllabic Review
“Polysyllabic” owes its name to the “Polysyllabic Thoughts” song (the Steven Towers saga continuation) as well as to its multiplexity. It is multilayered, multidimensional, it is polysyllabic. The Ivories’ sophomore album is captivating. It grows within you, it’s giving you a new dimension, it spreads in your mind and takes control of you. Should I talk about the orchestral instrumental “In The Beginning“?
It’s giving me the chills! Honestly, I just can’t get enough of it. Listening to “A New Beginning” one starts to think that something has changed about ILLUSORY. Although their characterizing rhythms remains totally Metal, the boys have “extended”, giving us their unbelievable creativity.
Difficult themes, virtuoso themes. As for Dee Theodorou’s voice, it’s more solid, more stable and wilder than ever. “Bleak” enters with a rapid and violent rhythm. It’s a bit off industrial metal, you know, just to begin with and then it’s open season. A natural cello, a melodic guitar and a the Voice Box choir are the initial ingredients of “Dreamshade“. Flooding with power and aggressiveness, it’s all about “Metal to the end of the world”! And when Voice Box burst out in the middle of the song and solos take over, it’s when I suffer my first stroke. What A song! “Odd-Y-Sea“; you have surely listened to it on youtube (shame on you, if not). It’s their first lyric video. Melodic, metallic, full of dimensions. Themes engage in a thunderous dance, with Dee being so powerful on vocals…
Fast rhythms and lots of accelerating over “Insangel“. As for the chorus… it’s just stuck in my mind. And the time has come (Polysyllabic Thoughts) to find out what really happened to Steven (the main character on “The Ivory Tower” album). He had made it to the top, he steeped on other people in order to achieve that, he made money, enterprises and the works and when all of his lies hit the surface… Steven lost it all! That was pretty much where Illusory’s debut had left off. Faithful to their promises, they came back with the next episode of the story (I’m still waiting for the book).
The sweet bastard got crazy, “checked in” an asylum and “Polysyllabic Thoughts” is the means to hear his thoughts and fears. “Est a levis regnum, cold asylum of gloom“. Extreme and totally darkened. It’s multilayered and polysyllabic music, just like the album title. “Last Fallen Angel“, the brand new album official audio clip, hits off with an aggressive rhythm, killing drums and a voice which is spreading chaos! Then they attack with “The Eyes Of Hades“, with a narration-intro and wild keyboards, equally wild with the guitars. We are at war! Well, at least we go to war along with “Solitary Nomad“! Filled with continuous musical changes and Dee’s vocal “mood”. It’s a song which could easily be interpreted as the cry of a whole nation! In “One Sad Moment Of Existence” we face guitar solos, aggressive styles and the imperative need to headbang our neck off. Melody is trying to calm wildness and the battle is simply amazing. Keyboards rule over “System’s Decay” and then they pass the torch to the insane drummer, who’s passing the ball to guitars and bass. Melodies are flirting with the voice and they deliver an exquisite outcome. “Swan Song” is offering semi-ballad tensions and the album epilogue. Yet… for those already bought the album, they are in for a surprise. “Swan Song” has conquered me easily. It’s not just the music or the voice.
The lyrics are like daggers, aiming at today, aiming at reality. Lyrics saying just about everything we wanted to let out. The “hidden” song of the album, “The Story“, is the best ballad of the last decade! Classic organs give us a melancholic gravity and words drill my head. It’s a sigh, yet it’s like electricity runs through your body as George Konstantakelos touches the keys and Dee embraces music vocally. I was praying it wouldn’t end. It’s like a shooting rain is painting the streets with an aura of optimism. The lucky ones with “Polysyllabic” are about to live a unique experience.
The boys have gone to new levels with this album, they’ve gone beyond every expectations we had; it’s an album that will “torture” us for years. Be prepared for some tough emotions!
Ioanna Parri
