After the latest MacBeth concept this impressive band is back with 10 new unrelated songs.
This one is a very focused, well balanced and above all intense collection of music, delivered with a musical ability that ranges in the top of the genre.
The style is Power Metal with a twist; a strong emphasis is on the detailed rhythm guitars, technical solos, detailed drumming, an ingenious bass style and Harry Conklin's over the top roaring vocals.
The lyrics are written in a precise and intelligent style, dealing with interesting themes of both large-scale topics as well as very personal ones, more on that later.
Let's look at the actual compositions:
The opener
Take To The Sky is one of the bands strongest songs, damn those inspirational odd drum fills gets me every time, and what about the technical and shredding solo, the dramatic keys, ripping rhythm guitar, ultra melodic vocals, powerful bass and the fact that the songs build-up is melted together in a fascinating manner, a genius opener.
Frozen In Fear is a fast and aggressive song about the horrible pains of child abuse, another amazing cut I must add. The rhythm section works as an unstoppable force of pure vigour, the guitar leads are intelligently added and the bombastic chorus is a suitable binding element. This is Power Metal of the highest calibre in every aspect.
Unworthy is yet another striking composition dealing with religion, frustration and despair, quite depressing and well written stuff. The tense mood is captured first with the Gregorian chants, before a mellow and embracing acoustic guitar rhythm sets in. The use of violin has become a special
Jag Panzer theme and once again it adds tons of atmosphere to the track. The Maiden-like lead melody brings a suiting catchiness to the whole thing and the breaking drum section only adds to the impression that this indeed is a small masterpiece of a song.
The Silent gains a lot of strength from the monster hard guitar riffs and Harry's varied and haunting vocal lines, it hasn't got the same intense feeling to it as the above mentioned tracks, being a bit stretched at the end, but this is a minor thing, all in all high quality music once more.
A more direct approach is gone for with
The Scarlet Letter, Chris Broderick's mind-blowing guitar solo lifting the whole song quite a lot, he is certainly one of the most talented guitarists in my book, having a fascinating mix of harmony and aggression in his playing style, all ultra technical.
The chorus becomes a bit too tame to really work and this is the least good song of the record, still well above average.
Choir Of Tears is a brilliant example of the bands melting pot tendency; progressiveness and power going hand in hand like the most natural thing in the world. The bass/drum collaboration is solid as a rock and the guitar work inspiring.
The mood of
Cold Is The Blade (And The Heart That Wields It) is just as epic as the title could suggest, a slow but hard grooving track spiced with divine vocals. A sublime acoustic guitar/violin break takes the song into a down-tuned passage before dramatic twin guitar solo's brings us towards the familiar deep rhythm. A song about honour and fighting for the right and good cause.
Hidden In My Eyes is a painful love story sung very emotionally. The structure is lead driven and mid-tempo in character, not overly exciting but decent, the tense mid-section is working out better.
Power Surge is a very striking title for this unleashed monster of a Power Metal song, about the unstoppable life force called HEAVY METAL. High pitch vocals of the finest kind, elaborate drumming, melodic guitar solo spots, sombre keys, ingenious rhythm riffs, tight bass fundament, all carefully placed into a dramatic composition.
Let me start out with saying that
All Things Renewed is a very hard song to describe with words, it is one of those tracks that simply must be experienced to fully comprehend, I have rarely heard anything as bombastic as this one. The first 1.22 minutes is a spellbinding build up where the violin once again takes an important role, flowing together with Harry's soft voice and the acoustic guitar rhythm creating a stunning mood. An innovative shift between soft and heavy, melodic and melancholic is repeated in a structure this is everything but predictable or boring, this is an amazing ending song.
This fantastic show-off in musical extravaganza is rapped in a vigorous, detailed and extremely clear sounding production, after all this is the work of Jim Morris.
This is their most balanced and exquisite work to date, a unique mix of melody, progressiveness, musical skill and pure raw power.
Written by
Tommy Monday, August 16, 2004
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