Being a fan of Melodic Death Metal from the beginning, I have been pleased and sometimes equally frustrated with the direction that some bands have taken over the years. At the same time I am also excited to see how newer bands will evolve it as well. It is always thrilling to find new bands that are willing to explore genre and continue to push its boundaries.

Inactive Messiah with their current release, Sinful Nation, is a new band for me even though this is their third release. With that being the case I have unfortunately not been able to track their progress to date. They seem to have followed the some of the same paths explored before them by fellow Greek Metal legends, Rotting Christ and especially Septic Flesh.

Sinful Nation opens with a very good symphonic intro, Satyricus, reminiscent of Therion. It is then followed by one of the more promising Melodic Death Metal tracks I have heard in years, Soulless. From the opening riffs to the acoustic passages and world beats midway through the song I am really digging this. There is some symphonic atmosphere throughout the song but it is not in the forefront, which is that way on most songs except Theatrical World. I am glad that the symphonic elements are sparingly used, instead of dominating the songs they give them more depth.

Stylistically, Inactive Messiah can easily be compared to that of fellow countrymen Septic Flesh minus the blast beats, there is also moments that also remind me of Moonspell. The vocals of Xristos are very similar to those of Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) but are a bit more gruff. The drum work on the album is very tight and fast throughout the album, there could have been a little more variation, but overall well performed. There is also some nice guitar work from Thanos and Sotiris throughout the album. The riffs tend to be more of the fuller, meatier variety, check out the riff about a minute into Soulless.

Although, Inactive Messiah does not offer anything groundbreaking they do offer quality musicianship and adequate song writing skills which makes Sinful Nation a very good listen. If you are a fan of Melodic Death Metal then Sinful Nation will make a welcome addition to your collection.

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