Taken from a concept album of the same name, this single, “The Codes in the Stones (Part 1)”, serves as a perfect first taste, teaser, and tester of the sonic waters for Eren Ayintap’s latest long player. And, like all singles, it does its job perfectly, and, I suspect, there are few fans of melodic, soaring, progressive power metal who will listen to this and not make an immediate mental note to check out the album.
If you like your rock music big, then this is the place to be. The riffs are writ large, the dynamic spectrum is impressive, the vocals are unbelievable, and the blend of melody and muscle, power and poise is perfectly balanced. It’s old-school metal invigorated with new purpose, helping to forge a bright future for the genre.
But, as impressive as that all is, unlike much of the music found in these more extreme metal and rock realms, it has depth, exploring, as it does, a fascinating subject. Whilst others are content to spin out sci-fi yarns or tell tales of fantasy lands, Ayintap explores something far more real, far more intriguing, far more, perhaps, controversial.
This song, and the album it introduces us to, sees him examine ancient monuments and inexplicable structures that are arrayed across the globe and use them to search for traces of humankind’s earliest history. Are there clues to be found about our true origins? Is there evidence in these pre-civilization markers, lost histories just waiting to tell their story if only we can unlock them? Are there codes in the stones?
It’s a fascinating subject, it’s a great song, and it hints at a great album.
