Don't be fooled by a couple of listening rounds, my impression after a few spins and number twenty was two very different worlds, Casting The Stones takes time.
One main reason for this is that
Jag Panzer's new studio album is somewhat more progressive and difficult to grasp than their earlier works, I guess this calls for a further examination.
Even with the opener
Feast Or Famine you can sense that something is different from what you might have expected, the structure is uneven, layered but still very powerful.
A thunderous guitar solo is wrapped into a technical rhythm section that calls out for a great drummer like Rikard Stjernquist.
The Mission (1943) sets out on a more familiar and straighter.well mission. A massive bass helps along in creating a pounding groove that works as a very vigorous component and the incorporated lead parts have an ingenious and very import role too.
With
Vigilant we are back with a considerable more complex song and I must give the band credit for further exploring a more progressive direction. This one keeps on sounding fresh and inspiring. Bombastic keys, melodic piano intermissions and a harmonious guitar solo are all things that enhance this quite odd (in a good way) composition.
Achilles is the albums shortest track with its 2:45 minutes, a successful one nevertheless. A melodic guitar lick is the leading player in direct and very atmospheric journey.
On a very suiting place on the record we find the fast and aggressive
Tempest, roaring guitar riffs and the solid drum effort support each other well in creating a tight and rich fundament.
Spiced with a fantastic acoustic guitar break and another mind-blowing solo spot this song puts emphasis on just how important the guitar work is on this album and in
Jag Panzer's music in general, now even more than ever.
Legion Immortal is a compact and well played track, I just need something to make it really work, the chorus, main rhythm and guitar solo are all decent without impressing. Harry Conklin throws in some extremely striking vocal lines and that helps this one quite a lot.
Battered And Bruised has very varied mid-section that makes it a whole lot more interesting that it otherwise would have been, again I miss a memorable and successful binding element for it to become more than above average.
While we are at the "not that good stuff"
Cold must also be mentioned. The dull chorus cries out for a more melodic approach and the simple drive quickly becomes trivial. The experimenting guitar leads sound amazing but it's just not enough to make this a good song.
Let's get back to some great songs shall we.
Starlight's Fury has that well working Prog 'N¨ Power mix that this band masters so well, here we find an innovative and yet hard hitting structure with some suiting and interesting piano passages.
The Hearkening has a refreshing trashing nature and it's a pleasure to listen to the very detailed drum and bass performance.
In this and many of the other songs a background choir is used to give an extra filling element, in some places it works and in others it becomes a bit distracting, like in this song where it just takes up a bit too much space for my liking.
It is becoming a sure thing that the ending track on a
Jag Panzer record is a shining Metal pearl, and I can gladly report that they have done it again.
Precipice is a stunning and captivating heavy epic where the background choir fits in very well, contributing to the tense mood.
The spectacular eastern sounding guitar passages creates a mystic, dreaming and totally unique atmosphere that gives the song a very special and compelling vibe, Harry's mellow voice given it that extra dimension.
If you are left with the impression that I have been very critical of this disc, then there is some truth to that. This critique is not as serious as it could possibly seem, there isn't a song below average on the entire album, just a list of minor things that could have been better, the refrains has certainly had a higher standard on previous albums.
To say it short the sound of this disc is rock hard; a clear, extremely deep and finely weighed result.
Mythological Greece, Second World War bravery and the ability to stand tough in hard times are some of the well written and stimulating lyrical elements found on Casting The Stones.
I simply can't review this album without stating just how amazing these musicians really are, it's not only the guitar work that is truly world class, every member has a special talent and it really shows, especially after intense listening. They could have used Harry's brilliant voice to a greater extent, but he sounds phenomenal in every style he engages in.
So all in all this is another very good
Jag Panzer album, not as integrated and brilliant as their latest Mechanical Warfare, but well worth your money.
I'll leave you with the three words that I think best will describe this album; diverse, guitar driven and epic.
Written by
Tommy Sunday, September 5, 2004
Show all reviews by TommyRatingsTommy: 7.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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