This is a neat, concise example of how fruitful it can be when various genres of rock are combined. For instance, here we have
AOR but done with the progressive sensibilities of a 1990s prog outfit (and trust me, they do not make that music like they used to). The blending of these worlds creates something that is not only lovely to listen to, but has real depth as well. It may not be perfect, and has some chinks in the armor but overall, its variations on a theme make the time spent with
Angelost worthwhile.
Singer Chitral Somapala has his roots buried in the prog metal band Avalon and even the producer is more known for his handywork with Symphony X,
Vanden Plas, et cetera. So perhaps these building blocks helped to create this overall picture of melodic prog fused goodness. The
AOR part could be attributed to the rest of the bandmembers who come from
Bonfire (Dominik Hulshorst, drummer) and
Jaded Heart (Barish Kepic on guitar and bassist Michael Muller).
Their debut flew under my radar but tracks such as the hard pushing
Desert Moon, spike curiousity. This is a great song that has alot of flair and a fantastic melody punch underneath all that heavy crunch.
Dare I say there is an elegance lurking underneath this uptempo number? They sure have found a good balance between spunky rock and melody.
Strange Dreams has a chugging rhythm riff, but opens up like a moon flower for the chorus. Not a brilliant blast of color, but a subdued change with darkened hues that is reminiscent of a lighter
Vanden Plas moment. The snarl of
Destination fits nice with the pacing and its wild and fancy guitars seem right at home in this enviroment.
Heavenly Light is more along the path of fluffy
AOR, with a softer touch that veers into emotional pathways. A pretty ballad done quite well.
The One is even more traditional sounding, true blue melodic rock with all the bits you would expect of a slower piece in the genre. These could have been dolled up a little more but in context with the album they are nice breaks from the heavier fare.
Where Did It Go has one of the better choruses, it really gels with the rest of the song and helps to kick things up a notch or two. It ends up turning something sort of average into a piece that just has this nice flow. Swirling guitars abound lashing out with a kicky edge.
Damned Eternally gallops along at a midtempo speed but is lavished with a streak of melody that sets it apart from the rest.
Dancing in the Dark is a Springsteen cover and stays close to the original without trying to set any new ground. It was a great song then and
Faro cover it well.
Faro has turned out a very sweet piece of
AOR here with
Angelost. Some melodic rock purists might find instances where the music is a little too plodding for their tastes, but for those that have been versed in a prog background will find these moments to be tolerable when the entire picture of the song is concerned. Chitral has also covered new territory with his vocals, breaking out of his normal style.
My main complaint with the CD however, is the lack of hooks. It seems like there should be more made available in the song assortment. Overall,
Angelost offers a distinctly different view at
AOR and those that are tired of the
Journey wannabes and enjoyed such moodier fare as the Hartmaan and
Bruce Turgon releases might find a few pleasers out of this bunch. Just come in prepared for a progressive shakedown of melodic rock and you will be set to just sit back, listen, and enjoy the ride.
Written by
Alanna Saturday, February 25, 2006
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