Three years ago, Pythia released their first album,“Beneath The Veiled Embrace”. The group which has played alongside bands like Scorpions at Prog,Power & Metal Fest or before with Arch Enemy at Metal Female Voices Festival in 2010 released their second album:“The Serpent’s Curse”. Although the group has mostly toured in England, their home country, they had made themselve sa reputation amongst their colleagues from the Gothic Metal Symphonic scene or as well as among aficionados of the style.

Line-up:

• Emily Alice Ovenden - Vocals
• Ross White - Guitars
• Tim Neale - Guitars
• Mark Harrington - Bass
• Richard Holland - Keys
• Marc Dyos - Drums

Tracklist:

1. Cry Of Our Nation
2. Betray My Heart
3. Kissing The Knife
4. Just A Lie
5. Dark Star
6. Long Live The King
7. The Circle
8. My Perfect Enemy
9. Heartless
10. Our Forgotten Land

Unlike many formations, the British begin with a strong track very energetic which sets the tone: “Cry Of Our Nation”. We are in the epic, the Power Metal with touches of Gothic. Pythia confirm that the entire “The Serpent’s Curse” which can be seen intense from beginning to end, without the usual break that female fronted band serve us every time: the ballad! Pythia thank you! Let us return to our sheep, and instead focusing on what there is not in this album, let us concentrate on what we find. If with “Cry Of Our Nation”, we thought that the first few seconds acted as intro for the album, you realize that folk guitars were not just there for figuration, but come by here and then as boosters of “Kissing The Knife”, “Dark Star” or “The Circle”. Pythia develops a medieval visual world therefore also refers to it with its set of guitars in the songs mentioned above.

If with“Beneath The Veiled Embrace”the group did not surprised by its originality and did not stand out that much in its universe,“The Serpent’s Curse”, takes off. The British five found their personality and seem to claim it. The group has erased its flaws, composed effective titles with catchy choruses. Titles come and go but are not alike. In the end, we don’t confuse one song with another. The keyboard are present but not outrageous, like guitar solos which are often too present for not much in the genre in which Pythia officiating. Likewise the group know that to get an epic sound there’s no need to add tons of choirs. The example of “Long Live The King” is compelling: a main vocal line, and a second higher without extravagant vocals. This is also the method used in the album,Emily Ovendenis stuck with all the songs and the young lady clearly understood that not too much is needed. It’s the same for all the orchestrations in all the songs, but that doesn’t take precedence over the rest of the instruments. The formation may well have a female voice behind the microphone, they don’t forget that they don’t want to fall into the Symphonic Metal but keep their Power side.

Moreover, it is also thanks to that voice that the band stands out. While many formations officiating in a similar genre have decided to take a turn more “pop”, leaving the lyrical side or high-pitched voice, Pythia retains the lyrical voice of Emily Ovenden. The young woman’s voice varies as much as the music is varied. A voice still controlled, fluid in both deep notes than others (“Our Forgotten Land” is a very good example of what the brunette can do). More expressive than “Beneath The Veiled Embrace”, more varied, her evolution is in perfect harmony with the one of their music, which is much more accomplished and worked than before. “My Perfect Enemy” explores a world that we didn’t know, Emily flirting with a singing similar to Lisa Middelhauve (ex-Xandria), at least in the approach. Note also a small resemblance in how to build the beginning of the song that sounds like what Xandria has done in the past. But it’s clear that it’s more worked, more thought and we doesn’t fall into the soppy or “easiness” as that was the case in some tracks of the Germans, thanks to a guitar solo and chorus more powerful and darker.

In conclusion, Pythia succeeds their second album and convinced the public!“The Serpent’s Curse”suggests that we will have to rely on the British in the years to come. The group confirms their talents and took their career in hand, leveraging its strong point that is her singer and gains confidence by imposing their universe. Hopefully they continue to do so and impose even more in England, but also elsewhere in the world!

Highlights: Kissing The Knife, My Perfect Enemy, Our Forgotten Land