Thumos returns from the dark depths bringing ancient artifacts from the lost civilization of Atlantis. On this release, three epic tracks bring you through the story of Atlantis, providing epic instrumentation not too different from past releases, but sounding as strong as ever (previous reviews 1, 2). Like with previous releases, this album takes inspiration from Plato’s dialogues, where each track is named after specific dialogues, in this case referencing Atlantis. Thumos is able to take such deep and rich text and translate it in their own way, through progressive metal riffs that are both catchy, captivating, and unique. There’s no other band out there that captures that same philosophical essence like they do.
Starting with the opening track titled Timaeus, named after a Pythagorean philosopher who’s dialogue with Plato centered around the creation of the universe and the very nature of our physical world. It all lines up with how the band wanted to present this track, it being the opening song creates an epic foundation, with an epic progression that centers around a powerful riff that captures the chaos and intensity that the universe began with.
Continuing with the epic ballads and intricate musical story telling, the second track Critias. There is a sort of musical continuation here, with the guitar melody and riffs transitioning from the previous track into this one with ease. Even the structural progression of the tracks have a similar vibe, which makes sense given the original Critias dialogue continues from where Timaeus leaves off. In this dialogue, Critias discusses the origins of civilization and in particular Atlantis, as well as it’s moral decline and collapse. Thumos skillfully presents this collapse with an epic and intense ending with only the eerie feedback of a guitar closing the track out.
Finally, the final track of the album, Hermocrates. A less known figure in Plato’s dialogues, he was a well known figure from Syracuse that was apart of the same series of dialogues that Timaeus and Critias was apart of. While this dialogue was lost to time, Thumos are able to conjure it back through their music, creating an intense ending to this Atlantis series. A mix of slow and somber ambient passages that intertwine with intense and heavy metal parts that conjure grandiose images of the illustrious city of Atlantis.
Thumos has yet again proven that the fusion of philosophy and metal is a perfect crossover. Their raw sound captures the ancient essence of these dialogues in a way that has never been done before. With each of their releases, Thumos gets better and better, expanding their sound and carving their own niche within the underground. A must listen, and probably their strongest release so far.