Based in Luxembourg, female-fronted alternative/grunge rock outfit Ptolemea will drop their new EP, Maze, March 13. The title track, recently released, provides a foretaste of the EP’s sizzling energy.
Explaining the EP, the band says, “The purpose of this EP is to musically describe the polarity we all have inside of us: good vs bad, angel vs devil, ego vs essence of the soul. The songs of the EP describe different moments of that inner confusion giving us sometimes that feeling that we are in a ‘Maze,’ with no way out of our thoughts.”
Made up of Martin Schommer (drums), Yves Oek (bass), Remo Cavallini (lead guitar), Christoph Reitz (E-violin), and Priscila Da Costa (vocals, songwriter, guitar), Ptolemea’s genesis occurred when, at the age of 26, Priscila Da Costa, after earning her business law degree, elected to listen to her inner voice and pursue music. Redirecting herself, she took off on a new path.
Ptolemea released their debut EP in 2018, and now follows with Maze, reflecting their high-octane grungy sound, reminiscent of Alice in Chains and Black Sabbath, chock-full of compelling rhythms, powerful guitars, and Da Costa’s commanding impassioned vocals.
“Maze” opens on searing blues-flavored guitars flowing into a low-slung potent grunge-filled melody, dark and wicked. Da Costa’s voice oozes formidable sonic textures, dripping with femme fatale colors, lighting up the lyrics with actinic viscous savors.
When the guitars ramp up, the tune takes on growling hefty dynamics, accented by blistering, snarling tones from Cavallini’s guitar, underscoring the labyrinthine shadows of the music. A rumbling bassline and sharp popping percussion give the rhythm ominous cadence.
Encompassing a total of six-tracks, including “Maze,” highlights on the EP include the opening track, “I Wish I Could,” traveling on a menacing intro segueing into a potently streaming melody rife with symphonic textures.
“Isolated” features low trembling colors topped by Da Costa’s dreamy voice, latent with cutting edges suffusing the lyrics with ethereal timbres. “Time Has Come” opens on slightly dirty guitars atop a measured rhythm, deep and simmering. Da Costa struts the full range of her forceful voice on this track, imbuing the song with scrumptious resonance.
Wonderfully wrought, on Maze, Ptolemea delivers surging bluesy rock powered by muddy guitars, scintillating solos, and Priscila Da Costa’s deluxe voice.
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