Three more skilfully remastered, limited edition, digipack reissues from Metal Mind Productions. 'Primal Instinct', 'Manifestation Of Fear' and 'Principles Of Pain'.
 
Progressive power metal was never going to translate well to an acoustic setting.
Consequently, Elegy's 'Primal Instinct' is a hit and miss affair.
Mainman, Henk Van De Laars was always an ambitious arranger and producer, but sometimes his reach outstretched his grasp. As a result, this could have been a car crash, but fortunately, those songs most likely to survive a power down have been cherry picked, very, very carefully.
By this time, the caterwauling Hovinga had been replaced by Ian Parry, whose cultured vocal tones were chalk to Hovinga's cheese.
Great opener, 'Take My Love'. You can hear that Parry is up there with Champions' League vocalists like Steve Perry and Eric Martin. 'Spirits', too, works surprisingly well, with the band framing the song in a mock Flamenco style.
Conversely, the overly wordy 'Labyrinth of Dreams' and the plodding 'Erase Me' just don't survive the unplugging of an amped up life support system.
 
There are bonus tracks a plenty, with 3 - most notably 'Angel Without Wings' - coming from "Ian and Henk's Live Acoustic Sessions, Japan '98". With 3 more being taken from other on stage acoustic sessions, again in Japan.
Despite my reservations, this is a great package for fans of the band.
 
'Manifestations Of Fear' was Elegy's fifth studio album, and showed Parry's increasing influence on the band's music.
Produced and mixed by Tommy Newton, it's a tight, solid mix of progmetal complexity and power metal aggression.
Van De Laars, liberated from production duties and now sharing songwriting with Parry, seems to enjoy the freedom. His axework sings and soars, and the hairpin turns and corkscrew twists of his usually serpentine arrangements have been straightened out, opening the band's appeal to a wider audience.
Parry's 'Masters Of Deception' and 'Victim Of Circumstance' are true highlights, enjoying wiry, athletic melodies and a tight, collusive band performance.
 
By  2002's 'Principles Of Pain', founding member Van De Laars was out and Patrick (Jean Michael Jarre) Rondat was in. Along with bassman, Martin Helmantel, Rondat contributed significantly to a fertile songwriting relationship with Parry.
 
The band now seemed complete, as if the final piece of the puzzle was now in place. This new album, produced by Parry, picks up on the melodic rock stylings of the 'State Of Mind' album, adds these to the heavy progrock moments from earlier releases and moulds these into a polished, eminently listenable, neoclassical/ symphonic rock hybrid.
 
This was to be the band's swansong and was indeed suitably apposite way of bowing out.

Written by Brian
Sunday, May 31, 2009
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Ratings

Brian: 7.5/10

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Comment by Steen (Staff) - Sunday, May 31, 2009

View Profile Comments: 518 Elegy's first three albums are my personal favorites. I never really got into them after Hovinga left. At some point I'll give them another chance. Posted by Steen (Staff) Sunday, May 31, 2009

Comment by Alanna (Staff) - Sunday, June 7, 2009

View Profile Comments: 245 Yes, after stripping the heart and quirky uniqueness from the band, they certainly did change... and lost themselves in the process. Everything after the departure of Hovinga was shallow, overly processed, murky messiness. Ian Parry is a decent enough singer but has the charisma of a rock, atleast when he's singing with Elegy (and many instances solo as well). I remember being quite thrilled with the prospect of a new Elegy, and high hopes for Parry (after hearing some of his creepy solo discs) and was dismally disappointed over the results. The music better suits the name, but that's about all it does. Eh well. Posted by Alanna (Staff) Sunday, June 7, 2009