Every once in a while you experience something, and can just tell almost instinctively, that what you are experiencing is special. So it was for me when, in 2015, I somehow stumbled across the album Acheron by some band called Mechina.

Acheron is the fourth entry in an albums spanning science fiction epic. I’m just nerd enough that this immediately intrigued me. Having followed the band from that time onward, I have to say I really love their blend of symphonic, progressive and death metal elements. For a while, they managed to maintain a yearly release cadence, but have since backed off on that, and for good cause. The band states they didn’t want the music to suffer by simply trying to hit some arbitrary release cycle. Good for them.

The last major release was As Embers Turn to Dust at the beginning of 2017. Since then they have been working on the follow up, as well as releasing a compendium of their albums, honing the story a bit. But the time draws near, and today I got my first chance to check out a bit of what is coming our way.

“Realm Breaker” dropped today, and is the first release of upcoming album Telesterion. And it is classic Mechina. Full of lush orchestrations, driving guitars and excellent clean vocals. There are no male vocals or harsh vocals on this track, and it fits. The vocals have a slightly computerized sound to them, which works well with the music and fits the atmosphere being created. And atmosphere is one of the key parts of any Mechina album or song. That was what made my first listen to Acheron those years ago so entrancing: the atmosphere is just excellent.

“Realm Breaker” continues that track record, and instantly has my very excited for where Mechina is taking their story and their music. While not a real deviation from what they have released in the past, the song continues to showcase Mechina maturing as artists. There is a bit more restraint, the music has more room to breathe, and the orchestration continues to feel integral to the music, not an afterthought. These qualities have existed, but really are becoming more pronounced as Mechina feels to be more comfortable with who they are as artists and what they do.

Bring on the rest of Telesterion. I can’t wait for more.