EP REVIEW: Tales Of Time – The Journey

It’s been nearly a year since I first came across TALES OF TIME. They were the main support for BATTLE BORN on their UK tour and I was fortunate enough to catch them in my local city. I remember being enticed by their take on Symphonic Metal, it brought back that nostalgia of discovering the genre. Their upcoming debut EP The Journey will ensure that the growth in their clan members will continue and I will explain why that is. Given there is a lot to delve into, this gets one of my rare track by track reviews.

The EP opens with The Journey. When this came out as a single earlier in the year, it was after days of being physically ill and it lifted me a little. By the time it came to reviewing the EP, I was feeling much better and it was great to be able to appreciate it fully. You can tell there is growth within the sound, especially when it comes to the song writing. The poetic lyrics such as “Never lose sight of who you want to be, And hold it dear inside” and “Each scar tells a tale of who I used to be, Each time I stumble makes me strong” are relatable to most of us. Musically, I am reminded of SCARDUST; mainly down to the brilliantly intriguing bass solos from Liam Gloster.

Forgotten takes a darker tone; musically I am reminded of the realm Hollow Bastion from Kingdom Hearts. Hollow Bastion is one of the final levels and given what the lyrics say, this tone is appropriate. The track gives off the feelings of anticipation as you step into the unknown. Whilst this is can often be scary for a lot of us, knowing that you’re doing this for the better is the courage that carries you through. The lyric “As your name is called across the river of life, Grab the silver hand that glows in the moonlight” and the haunting music playing as this is being sung demonstrates those feelings of jumping into the unknown incredibly well.

Ever wondered what it would sound like if LEAH’s Sleeping Giants and NIGHTWISH classic End Of All Hope somehow combined? Chaos Art gives you a rough idea on what that would sound like. It also makes me think that this would not be out of place in a Japanese Anime. The empowering melody provides that great backing for uplifting lyrics such as “And as the chaos, reigns, We’ll find the art within our veins that, Keeps humanity pushing for the win!” It’s a track that can help you conquer what’s coming your way.

It’s great fun when you read a track name that turns out to be the complete opposite, in this case it’s the track Sleep. If Danny Elfman wrote the music for the level Hollow Bastion mentioned earlier, this is what it might sound like. Lyrically it takes a much darker tone, this along with the eerie melodies works incredibly well and it gets you to stop and reflect.

When I first listened to the EP closer Momentai, it brought the emotions to the surface. The lyrics such as “You don’t have to walk a perfect line” and “Not every battle is yours to win, Even rivers know how to bend” are heard very clearly from the get go. It’s the words we all need to hear, self doubt is a universal experience and we all need words of encouragement. Momentai does this and much more.

The Journey is a stunning debut EP. All the tracks give us the perfect balance of delicateness and brutal heaviness. The vocal dictation and enunciation is fantastic, so much so where you can hear those poignant lyrics from the word go. This EP is solid proof that TALES OF TIME are ones to keep your eyes and ears out for.

Rating: 8/10

Words: Lotty Whittingham