Emphasis - "Dekalog", a bid to welcome experimental jazz metal

• BAND - Emphasis
• RELEASE - "Dekalog"
• LABEL - INDEPENDENT
• GENRE - Progressive Rock / Metal
• COUNTRY - ESTONIA

   It's always refreshing when a band carries on with their change in musical direction, and hones their newfound sound with such aplomb, especially when the shift has such a wide chasm, such an example of this is Estonia's Emphasis.

  Here is a band who started off with a traditional symphonic metal sound but as years went by, they explored somewhat uncharted territory within the metal music realm, gradually shifting towards a rather unconventional form of progressive metal / rock, simply by incorporating jazz elements into their craft, and they continued this avant garde approach with their new album "Dekalog".

   "Dekalog" heralds 14 years of activity and includes an array of musicians from the jazz world as well as original vocalist Anet Vaikmaa as guest vocals on 'Dekalog IX', marking a poignant moment in the sextets history, but the crux of the album resides in its name in honouring the famed Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski whose TV series production shares the same name. 

    Musically and vocally you can experience a cocktail of sounds and elements, not only from the jazz section but with the prog section, flavours akin to that of Muse, Dream Theater and Animals As Leaders, with each passing second having an unexpected twist - not to mention the usual expectations of prog songs being 8 or 9 minutes long, so there is plenty to soak in.

    To nail "Dekalog" down to one genre is impossible, to simply call them experimental metal is a huge understatement and barely underlines the vibrant sounds heard on this album, and as long as Emphasis keep on driving and pushing boundaries in their ground-breaking sound, they will continue to gain a foothold within the Estonian and wider metal scene.

[8/10] RHYS STEVENSON