Mother of Millions release fifth album – review of “T”

With “T”, greek prog-metalers Mother of Millions have released their fifth album. Lyrically, the album explores the theme of war in all its facets. According to the band, the songs are intended to reflect the cries and lamentations, but also the budding hope. Overall, “T” is lyrically remarkable, drawing on the works of both American and Greek poets. “The Wound” and “The One” feature adapted poems by Walt Whitman. “Death” features an adapted poem by Emily Dickinson. The spoken-word section in “The Ascent” is an excerpt from a poem by Odysseas Elytis, courtesy of Ioulita Iliopoulou. The spoken-word section in “The Sun” is an excerpt from a poem by Yiannis Ritsos, courtesy of Eri Ritsou.

Musically, a varied journey lies ahead. Mother of Millions manage to incorporate a wide range of progressive metal stylistic elements into their songwriting whilst still always sounding authentic. Nothing feels contrived or forced. The Greek band create anthems such as “The Wound”, “The Aftermath” and “The One“, which remain catchy despite their technical sophistication. Then they surprise the listener with electronic beats, as in “The War” or “The Innocent“, which then develop into epic pieces of music. Things take an emotional turn with “The Ascent” and “Death“. Beautiful musical constructs that build upon one another as delicately as a house of cards, threatening to crumble at the slightest disturbance. The use of strings in “The Ascent” reinforces this impression even further. Simply fantastic.

As an outstanding track and a definite must-listen, I have to mention the over eight-minute-long “The Sun”. The song begins like an anthem, then transitions into galloping staccato triplets on the guitar, before building steadily into a gigantic, bombastic number that won’t let the listener go.

With “T”, Mother of Millions have further cemented their place in the prog-metal scene. For me, this album is definitely a must-have for all prog-metal fans. A real highlight of the year.

Tracklist:

1. The Wound
2. The War
3. The Aftermath
4. The Innocent
5. The Ascent
6. As One
7. The One
8. The Circle
9. The Sun
10. Death