Folk metal is at its best when the folk music it draws from is not European. And for some reason, the blending of the contemporary and the traditional has always sounded particularly effortless for Guangzhou-based symphonic folk metal band Mysterain. The way they incorporate Chinese-sounding melodies into their compositions makes complete sense, and ends up highly accessible even to non-Chinese listeners. Having said all that, ‘A Thousand Dusts’ truly sees the band rising above its already fairly lofty standards. It simply is a beautiful album that manages to find that perfect, yet elusive balance of adventurous songwriting and melodic memorability.

While it would be tempting to compare Mysterain to European bands combining symphonic metal with operatic female vocals and folk elements, the flavor of Mysterain’s music is so uniquely Chinese that any such comparison would give the wrong impression. The prominence of Lǐ Wénshēng’s bamboo flute plays a significant part there, as it carries a lot of the melodies. Also, Páng Yuè’s vocals are clearly rooted in a different operatic tradition, going for a subtle, yet surprisingly expressive performance rather than full-on bombast. The staggering amount of creativity by the entire band completes the picture.

Compared to its 2020 precessor ‘Fall of the Song Dynasty’, ‘A Thousand Dusts’ feels more streamlined both compositionally and productionally. That does not mean the music has become simpler or less heavy, as a lot tends to happen in Mysterain’s songs and Lǐ Shìyǔ’s riffs can still get fairly heavy – on the relatively aggressive ‘Jué Jì’ in particular – but the overall listening experience has become a bit smoother. Many big names would have enlarged the contrasts, riffs and hooks of the excellent opening salvo of ‘Shí Sān’ and ‘Zhuó Yuàn’, but Mysterain is clearly more interested in telling its own story and doing it well.

As much as I like the metallic sections, the quieter sections are where Mysterain truly distinguishes itself. The clean guitar part that opens album highlight ‘Guī Yàn’ is absolutely gorgeous. The way the rest of the song unfolds is somewhat reminiscent of Onmyo-za’s more epic tracks, without actually being a close soundalike. ‘Yún Yān’ evolves from another incredible clean guitar part to a powerful rocker that makes excellent use of space, culminating in a section that increases in intensity by adding layers of folk melodies effectively. Also, the melancholic ballad ‘Shuāng Níng’ really highlights how good a singer Páng Yuè is.

Everyone who enjoys folk metal or symphonic power metal with operatic vocals owes it to themselves to listen to ‘A Thousand Dusts’ at least once. There is just so much to be enchanted by here. That already starts with its stunning cover artwork, but it will be the beautiful melodies and almost dream-like atmosphere that won’t let you go. Despite having been familair with the band before, the sheer creativity on display here was a surprise to me, and makes me hopeful about what the band will have to offer in the future. Don’t let the language barrier keep you from experiencing this.

Recommended tracks: ‘Guī Yàn’, ‘Yún Yān’, ‘Shí Sān’, ‘Mù Yún Wǔ’