Self Released - 2025
9.5/10
Blackened thrash and throwback heavy metal bands are amongst the hardest to mess up, being in such great abundance that it's sometimes equally hard to find ones that stand above their peers. More often than not, it's that "blackened heavy" balance that strikes a real chord, however Dallas's Myth Carver might manage to sidestep any of this by treading that traditional ground that just feels, simply extreme? The lone EP Twist Of Fate could be boiled down to a really aggressive USPM effort, but the sheer feeling of this suggests otherwise. I wouldn't describe this as anything in the actual extreme camp, but the energy could certainly hold a flame to those styles.
In other words, this is stylistically a heavy metal effort of only four tracks that breezes by in under twenty minutes, but has an aura so fierce and a writing style so captivating that I can't help but praise its ambition. Underneath the extremely loud production, echoed soundscapes, menacing falsettos, and crushing rhythms lies a fair amount of melody and passion. When things settle down briefly, the vocals boast such a concise ear for pitch that fits with the angrier punches as easily as the toned-down ones. Thus, every track comes off with superior fervor that is really rare for an act so early in its development, releasing only singles before this.
"Untamed Steel" starts us off with no warning, matching its title to what could trick somebody into thinking you're in for a thrash banger, considering the speed, grit, and power that channels through such raw energy. If you had any doubts, "Thunderkill" follows this up with a more obvious nod towards emotion, sneaking in clearer vocals without letting go any of the rage that carry the riffs. Similarly, "Shadow Firmament" assaults the listener with power-stance rhythms, baking in a wonderfully timed solo that yet again, doesn't let go of the power but manages to make the gang-chant chorus feel organic, stripped of any campiness. "Iron Helm" then closes us off on a similar note, if not caking on harsher vocals a little heavier.
The sheer fact that I struggle with categorizing Myth Carver is all I really need to know that we've got something unique sounding. Traditional metal is very much a spectrum, but it's quite rare that it showcases such a mean playing field without entering the extreme boundaries, and if that's not enough, Twist Of Fate backs it with memorable songwriting too. If power metal around myth, history and nerdy shit actually sounded as threatening as it often tries to, this would be the outcome. Do not sleep on this.
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