Progressive metal is a limitless genre. Bands always aim to have the most bizarre sounds and complex rhythms instead of your typical 4/4. However, in prog, unlike most metal subgenres, bands rely on using solely clean vocals. Not Persefone. This Andorran six-piece are not your typical prog band. Using breakdowns, a mix of clean and harsh vocals, as well as being able to create black metalesque atmospheres within their music shows that they are more capable of combining genres than most progressive metal bands in the industry now. Lingua Ignota Part I, the first EP in this series showcases all the above.
After a brief intro which combines parts from the first song and lead single ‘One Word’, the song starts without leaving a moment to recover from the breakdown in the intro. The track is a near six-minute epic which peaks with the powerful and epic final chorus. It is an extremely catchy song, and with a chorus as memorable as this, it is sure to be a fan-favourite live.
The second track, ‘The Equable’, is memorable for the same reasons. Both have huge, catchy and memorable choruses. ‘One Word’ is a catchier song, whilst ‘The Equable’ is much more technical, and as a result of the musical prowess on display, the song sounds extremely powerful. The inclusion of the guitar solo works because the solo is just long enough and fits the ambience of the song perfectly. This is where track three, ‘Lingua Ignota’ fits in with the rest of the EP. Vocally, it is the heaviest of the three full songs, as well as being the most rhythmically technical. The guitar solo on this song is the standout part of the song. The keys have their moment to shine as well, however they tend to get overpowered by the rest of the instruments. This song is also the only one where I really noticed the keyboards.
The title track, ‘Lingua Ignota’ ends with the repetition of the line “we are, we are the same” with the musical layers slowly decreasing until the song comes to an end. This would have been the perfect way to end the EP. But Persefone decided to end it with a track similar to the intro. This time though, the track is more melancholic and the ending fades out, giving the EP a full sense of completion. To me, this does not really seem necessary as if the band took out both the intro and outro to “Lingua Ignota Part I,” we could have had four long songs instead of the three that are given to us. Considering that the EP is only 26 minutes long, I do not believe that three songs, an intro and an outro is the best use of these 26 minutes.
Overall, however, the lacklustre intro and outro could be easily forgotten as all three of the full-length songs are memorable partly for the same reasons, as well as being memorable in their own way. ‘One Word’ is extremely catchy, whilst both ‘The Equable’ and ‘Lingua Ignota’ are extremely technical and as a result, feel more unique. The addition of Daniel Rodríguez Flys as a second vocalist, the band feels a lot more compact, and it is definitely audible in this EP. This EP has a lot of strong parts, and I hope that when part II comes out, the band will focus on writing three four or even five longer songs rather than wasting time with the intro and outro. If we forget the intro and outro tracks, ‘Lingua Ignota Part I’ is phenomenal, but will Part II be able to top it when it eventually comes out?
Persefone: Lingua Ignota Part I – Out 2nd February 2024 (Napalm Records)
– One Word (Official Video) | Napalm Records (youtube.com)
