SONG REVIEW: The Ephemeral - "Mayfly"
“A beautiful mix of progressive music and emo that scratches the itch”
by Jesse Smith
Ephemeral: lasting for a very short time. Even though this is what the band’s name is supposed to mean, I hope it doesn’t mean this for the band. Residing in Arizona, The Ephemeral is a progressive metal band that ties in the glory of Prog and the beauty of their emo influences. The band started releasing music in 2018, So I guess they didn’t live up to their name (which in this case is a good thing) But the band’s newest single is by far my favorite. So grab you headless guitars and tune up, because it’s time to dive into “Mayfly”.
Want to know what else doesn’t live up to the name? This song's length, coming in at over 4 minutes it’s like watching a marvel movie, you get lost in the art and suddenly it’s over. Out of the gate it is apparent that every single person in this band are masters at their craft, but that isn’t what first shocked me. There is a saying in music that someday, you become so good that you write music for other musicians which is how I feel about the majority of prog bands, but this band is in a small group of bands that I see joining the for everybody club. A good example of what I’m talking about are bands like Dance Gavin Dance and Polyphia, completely different sounds, but the progressive nature and how sporadic in a non ADHD way it is yet still finding a massive fan base. The reason I think is because all these bands are masters of melody and emotion, and that is where The Ephemeral comes in. Mayfly has such an emo melodic base in their vocal delivery that is easy to digest and listen to. Of course, the music reflects this but in a crazy way with a lot of notes. As you move through the music keeps you interested while the vocal performance keeps you locked in your seat.
Mayfly is not only a fun listen, it’s pretty easy to listen to even if you are not into progressive music and also it's a beautiful song. They did a perfect job in mixing their influences and making something spectacular. Rarely do I find music that truly stands out of the crowd, and just the sheer talent in this band had my attention but their ability to sing sweetly over something so complex deserves to be recognized. I can safely say that this band would be for the majority of people in the scene and the majority would like it! It definitely scratched a brain itch I had and now I can’t stop listening to it.