Review by Jon on April 30, 2020.

The first time I heard this record back in 1993, I was only able to hear the first song on the record (a neoclassical piece). I liked it, but it was not until the second time I heard this record that I felt its’ full impact. I was in the middle of the woods, staring at a full moon in the winter sky (which was a hazy shade of deep blue at the time). We had just finished listening to Pink Floyd’s "The Dark Side of the Moon", and a friend put this record on. By the end of the record, my perception of what was possible in metal and music in general had been drastically altered. It was perhaps the most impactful listening experience of my life, and it quite literally changed my life. It is a moment that is frozen in time, forever to be revisited with a sense of awe.

What does this album entail? While it does have some gothic elements, those elements are not nearly as dominant as in later releases. A cryptic, avant-garde style of riffing permeates the record during the doom-death passages. The death metal element is tuned down a bit from the debut (no blast beats for example), but this general style encompasses about half of the music. Whether it be the creeping doom of the title track, or the more intense sections backed by double bass drumming, the death metal riffing could not be more convincing. Nary a single riff is of poor quality; rather, I have given 6 of the 7 songs a five-star rating (the lone holdout, 'The Songless Bird', receives a 4 star rating but it just misses the cut). The other half of the riffs on this record are beautiful, melodic, and atmospheric (to a degree that has never quite been equaled). Whether we look at the verses on 'Your River', 'The Crown of Sympathy', or 'The Snow in My Hands', these sections are utterly haunting. Aaron's clean vocals are superb. Although he is a better singer at this time, the way the vocals are sung and the melodies in place are breathtaking.

There is a healthy dose of variety. Clean guitars, intricate harmonies, ambient keyboard sections, the dual vocal style, and classically inspired violin sections appear frequently (with every note falling perfectly in place). How rare is it to hear an entire record where every note played by each musician, on every song, sounds flawless to you? Although I have thousands of records I enjoy, I rarely resonate with one to this extent. The interplay between slow sections, the heavy/chunky sections, and the more intense death metal parts contributes to the diverse listening experience even further, although it all works together seamlessly. There is nothing on the album that sounds disjointed, uninspired, or poorly written. You get the feeling that the young men who created this record some 22 years ago were very inspired and creating music without boundaries, paving a new path. As for that weeping violin, the melodies and the note selection are flawless. The violin is so critical to the emotional impact of the record that I can’t quite put its’ impact into words. At times, after ingesting several beers and partying with some friends, I’ve been moved to tears by the record.

The lyrical content tends to match the obscure doom-death style of the guitar riffs. It is cryptic, obscure, very poetic, and often influenced by classic literature. There are often lyrical passages that require you to dig deeper to reveal the true meaning – nothing is obvious, it is all open to interpretation and cloaked in mystery. While the band's lyrics would become much more straightforward and obvious around the Like Gods of the Sun LP (a good record but nowhere near the majesty of Swans), the work here is masterful. You could read the lyrics alone and experience a harrowing journey. I remember reading the CD booklet without listening to the music and being carried away to a beautiful world of frost and melancholy. Despite the darkness and grimness enveloping the record, a feeling of hopefulness somehow bleeds through the fog - listening to this record has always lifted my spirits. As the title of the review indicates, this is an utterly timeless masterpiece.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Jack on July 11, 2001.

Every band has one; an identifiable album that you would recommend to a potential new fan. Emperor’s “Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk”, Dimmu Borgir’s “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant”, Cannibal Corpse’s “Tomb of the Mutilated”, or if your good enough an entire plethora of quality releases; Opeth and Katatonia. 1993 was My Dying Bride’s year to shine with “Turn Loose the Swans”.

As one can tell from the rather, perhaps comically phrased title, “Turn Loose the Swans” was going to be something different, something rather special in the band’s long history. That would be a good assumption, but it’s not quite the case. “Turn Loose the Swans” was ‘the’ doom album of the year, if not the album of the year. Combining the talents of 6 lads from the British Isles, (7 if you include the female vocals of Zena on the track ‘Black God’) to make an album that is not weak in any respect whatsoever. Each track is lovingly handcrafted from the hands of musical geniuses. And in 1993 this album is something of a landmark to doom fans allover the globe.

The album picks up speed and leads the listener through just under an hour’s worth of epic doom/gothic metal production. Violins are abound throughout the record, and really add to “Turn Loose the Swans” gloomy, doomy atmosphere. There is no weak track here, all are amazing. My favourites are, ‘Sear Me MCMXCIII’ and ‘Your River’ which are probably My Dying Bride’s strongest tracks ever. Simply a breathtaking album, that will leave you speechless, as you bathe in its wake.

Bottom Line: My Dying Bride’s finest. “Turn Loose the Swans” is essential listening to any interested in somber, poetic music that covers all areas of the metal spectrum. Their best album and will become one of your best too.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on October 26, 2020.

No waiting, no intro: Eurynomos start their first wild ride over the distance of an entire album immediately. The opening riff of 'Titan God' reveals two things very quickly. Firstly, the band saw no reason to change its approach. Musty black thrash is still the name of the game and that’s great. Secondly, the riffing of the opener is doubtlessly outstanding, but simultaneously nearly painfully similar to that of 'Unchained from the Crypts'. Of course, the musical frame of the band’s preferred approach is narrow. Nevertheless or maybe exactly because of this fact, the dudes should always keep a close look at their own back catalogue. Anyway, let me tell you the whole truth. Apart from the aforementioned blemish, 'Titan God' is an excellent beginning: straight, dark and malicious. That’s the way I like an album to be kicked off.

More songs follow the pattern of the first track, fortunately without referring too much on a previously already released song. For example, the brilliantly flowing and double bass-affine 'Bat Flight' points in the same direction and salutes the cover animal. By the way, the artwork reminds me of the long forgotten Noisehunter albums, but this does not indicate the music on From the Valleys of Hades in any way. Useless memories aside, let’s stay in the here and now. The murderous 'Nighthunter' takes a pretty straight way to hell as well, although mid-tempo parts show up, too. But I should mention that Eurynomos have more than only one song pattern up their sleeve. 'Pantokrator', for example, follows a more dragging approach. I wish it would have a bit more drive, but it's riffing is fantastic and conveys a relentless yet fatalistic feeling. Not to mention the catchiness of the chorus. That’s almost a trademark of the Germans, they are always aware of the relevance of a memorable chorus. This makes it easy to get quick access to the album, even for simple-minded dudes like me.

Magma is the name of the man who is responsible for “pyroclastic bass eruptions”, but that’s not all. He has mixed and mastered the album as well. Imagine the cry of a chained prisoner that comes out of the clammy cellar of a dilapidated castle and you get an idea how the full-length sounds. Okay, the prisoner is still surprisingly vigorous… In other words: From the Valleys of Hades sounds like a declaration of war against all kinds of modern productions and this is the perfect approach in view of the equally totally old-fashioned musical offering. But don’t confuse “old-fashioned” with “stale” or “outdated”. There is a never-changing, wicked core in metal and everybody who makes this core audible can be considered as a creator of timeless metal – and so old-fashioned is just a synonym for timeless in this context.

With the exception of the somewhat expressionless instrumental at the end of the A side, all songs have an enormous impact and therefore there is only one thing that annoys me. Two tracks which are listed on M-A (and which seem to be included on the CD version) are missing here. Maybe this is because of the sound possibilities and the capacity of a vinyl, however, I am against any form of discrimination of vinyl buyers. Isn’t this a violation of the UN Human Rights Charter? Of the Geneva Conventions? Of the proper worship of Kim Jong-un? Or of all together? Anyway, nine direct hits shape a fantastic record and the pretty large-sized title track bundles the strengths of Eurynomos for the final time: dynamic meets gargantuan riffs, evil melodies liaise with hellish outbursts of anger and Okkulto’s voice thrones above all. His former band Desaster will have to struggle in order to keep the pace of his present formation (and the split with Decayed rather indicates that Infernal Kuschke is fighting a losing battle, although I am sure that there is still a lot of musical power in Desaster). Be that as it may, the famous last words are dedicated to the here reviewed output. I admit: the more often I listen to 'Titan God', the less I care about its 'Unchained from the Crypt' similarity. It’s simply a neckbreaking killer – and the same goes for the entire vinyl.

Post scriptum, 17th of October: meanwhile, an occult person who originates from the valleys of Hades sent me a copy of the CD. The relatively pompous intro 'Call of the Arena' lives up to its name and carries the listener back to ancient Rome where the gladiators are entering Circus Maximus. 'Nibiru Sun' is a stomping fiendishness, short but crisp. So it’s up to you whether you choose the vinyl or the CD – I am sure both will enrich your collection. And thanks to the friendly dude who gave me the CD.

Rating: 9.3 out of 10