This is
Symphorce's third album and their most hard and aggressive one yet. Their style is Power Metal with an edge, there are small progressive elements here and there making the album sound a bit complex. On Phorceful Ahead the dark atmosphere and depth is very in focus.
I had a hard time making up my mind on this one, I found their two other records pretty good, but this one seems to me to be the most "special" of them.
Speak My mind opens the album, and this is one of the best songs too, a great "phorceful" chorus, Heavy guitar riffs, and a cool atmosphere, a very solid and hard track.
Unbroken is the next song and also a great one, faster and with more energy, the track has a lot of melody all the way.
Longing Home is among the slowest tracks without being exactly quiet, a great harmonic guitar solo in the middle, and also a song with lots of atmosphere. The hard guitar work goes through the album as a thin line.
Andy B. Franck (Brainstorm) really sings with high class and the other musicians do their job well.
Cederic Dupont (Freedom Call) and Markus Pohl creates some really Heavy riffs on this record, fast, slow but always very solid. The rhythm section of powerful drums and hard played bass gives the songs a very tight aspect. In the background there are keyboard elements here and there, this works very well, it gives the songs an extra dimension and helps set the dark mood. This instrument could with good result have been used even more. The progressive elements and melodic leads which continue through the album lift the album to a higher level.
Rage Of Violence is a very fast and aggressive song, but like most of the song it changes its pace and atmosphere, and this is a big plus on the record, it makes the songs interesting.
Characteristic for
Symphorce are huge choruses that sometimes times carry the songs, this is also the case on this album, some of them are great, others a bit standard and without the same melody and drama as for example
Falling Through Again which is a very emotional song, passionate sung and with cool melody.
Lyrically the album concentrates on personal themes of confusion, inner strength, feelings of rage and despair and so on, all in all a very personal album, and the lyrics work well together with the music.
Of the ten songs most of them are good, a couple more standard and without the same intensity as the others, for ex.
Touched And Infected which relies on the same base as most of the songs but hasn't the same touch and melody, but still above average. The really fantastic songs are underrepresented, but all in all a pretty high standard is my impression.
Concerning the production there are only good things to say, very solid, clear and tight just as the music.
Nothin' Left ends the album, this song reminds me a bit of the first track in atmosphere, dark in character and with a great riff.
Even though many songs have some basic elements in common, there are different things that separates them, you have to listen to the album many times to get all of them in focus, but they are there, and they are interesting and well arranged.
A very good and solid release.
Written by
Tommy Thursday, November 14, 2002
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