To form an uninfluenced opinion on White Arms Of Athena is not an easy task. On one hand you have the exceptional instrumental mastery with intricately layered songs full of prog metal excellence. On the other you have a band that sounds almost exactly like Between The Buried And Me.
It’s a not just a passing resemblance or the odd element here and there. No, at most times even an avid BTBAM fan would have a hard time distinguishing the two acts from each other.
This bizarre element of hero worship continues right through to the albums production being done by frequent Between The Buried And Me producer Jamie King. With that said, White Arms Of Athena do have some subtle differences that set them apart from the aforementioned NC-based outfit.
Rather than veer off into quirky territory, this Texan outfit opt for the more graceful & spacey approach of Cynic. A respectable choice, but one that ultimately adds to their identity crisis. With such a high pedigree of influences and the chops to back it up, there’s no denying that White Arms Of Athena are some extremely talented individuals.
They have a particularly strong set of songwriting skills and whether charging through serrated riff laden bellows or ascendant melancholy, they deliver some engrossing results. But as stated above, it’s not the abundance of instrumental talent or songwriting prowess that holds the band back; so much as it is the frustrating lack of their own identity.
