So one of my favourite vocalists of all times is back in the road again with a new album. And my friends, the long wait was worthy! Zak Steven (ex-
Savatage) gave birth to a great album, very melodic and dynamic, with very well worked arrangements and contributions of undeniable talented musicians!
Out of Reach opens the album giving the listener a good introduction of how Zak is sounding today and what are his intents with this new band. Of course you can feel the Sava vibe here, but, it sounds so fresh and uncompromising, that makes you soon forget his glorious past for awhile and find out a very competent and promising band behind a singer who is in the top of his form. Forget about those intricate arrangements and epic, almost cinematic moods from his last albums with
Savatage. What you´re going to listen here is a straight-in-your-face rock band, with a clean production, where everything is in its own place, nothing sounding too much or lacking. Everything sounds just right. Sometimes it reminds me of the songs of Edge of Thorns and Handful of Rain, but a step forward, more mature and tight.
The powerful introduction of the first track, open doors to the heavy riffs that intercalated with acoustic guitar parts make the background to the almost whispered words sang by Zak, until the explosive, catchy chorus. Here you already notice how great and well produced is his voice in this album. Great opener!
Followed by
Sea of White and
Into the Wind, the music keeps flowing in the same vein, with great heavy riffs blended with softer guitar parts, concentrated in the chorus, what could be pointed as a trade mark in this album.
And then, the title track, my favorite song of the album.
Watching in Silence is maybe the song closest to Zak´s past. Since the beginning with the typical Jon Oliva piano introduction, and the slow walking guitars, ´till the powerful "sing along with me" chorus.
Forgiven and
Lies are my least favorite songs, but still great tunes. They will probably grow on me, with time, let´s see. Both songs deal with internal conflicts and dive deep in the emotional shores of human mind and relationship matters.
The vocal line of the chorus in Lies where Zak sings in a very traditional metal way deserves to be remarked. Pretty cool and a little bit different from the rest of the album.
Face to Face brings back the the guide line of the album with the mix of acoustic guitars and heavy riffs plus power chorus. Almost a ballad, this is one of my favorites of the album.
Walls is maybe the lightest moment of Zak's debut album, but it has a great vibe and very interesting acoustic guitar parts. I like a lot the lyrics of this track, which I am sure Zak composed based upon the last moves of his career and the changes it brought to his life. Anyways, this song talks about unavoidable changes that happened, or are happening, or will happen for sure in anyone's lives sooner or later, and about to surrender to them.
Then comes
The Circle, which is a quick and simple rocker, a nice one by the way, where he talks about the interchange of his friendship circles, his old band represented by Chris and Jon in the composition of his solo album and his new band. No, I didn´t figure it out, but read some interview in the web. Teehe!
Closing the album,
F.O.S., or in another words, Fields of Sorrow. Again Zak, gets close to
Savatage structure of songs. But here less complicated and directed to his vocal lines. A very nice track and my second favorite one.
So, after some dozen spins of this gem I must admit that I am very pleased and surprised with Zak Stevens debut album. Zak confirmed his position in the metal scene as one of the best singers of today´s metal generation along with
Jorn Lande (Masterplan, ex-Ark). He has proven that the best vocalist is not the one that his notes reach the stratosphere each second, but the one who knows that every single note sang must come from the heart and must be evolved of all the emotion and feeling that the song is asking. Zak Stevens, an old school vocalist in modern times. Thank God!
Written by
Rafael Sunday, September 28, 2003
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