We have a nice cross-section of new tracks to check out, so let's see what metal and prog have in store for us coming up in the Fall.
Helion Prime – The Forbidden Zone
Helion Prime's previous album was a good bit of sci-fi power metal, but I am much more intrigued by the record that is now slated to come out in October, because their revamped lineup features Mary Zimmer's voice (whom you might remember from Luna Mortis and White Empress). This first single is everything I could want it to be; just a little bit different, highly melodic, and wonderfully sung. When I think of sci-fi and music, this is exactly the sort of thing I imagine, and not just because of the Planet Of The Apes theme. The music is slightly futuristic, the keyboard solo is a b-movie rocket to space, and Mary's voice is grounded enough to keep the music from venturing into fairy tale territory. It's great to hear her singing these kinds of melodies again, and this song portends really good things for the album. Power metal might be saved, after all. Or are we already living on power metal planet? The horror!
Orden Ogan – In The Dawn Of The AI
When it comes to power metal, there are few bands that I find truly interesting. Orden Ogan is one of them, because they do something different, something no one else quite matches. The first taste of their new album is here, and it keeps up their run of providing excellent power metal that captures the grandeur and epic scope of a movie soundtrack. They have a wonderful blend of modern chugging guitars, epic choirs, and rousing melodies. All Orden Ogan is good, with only some minor differentiation from one album to the next. This song isn't among their absolute best, but it reminds me how much I'm looking forward to a new album.
Neal Morse – In The Name Of The Lord
For this album, Neal is back to being a solo artist (technically), and I for one like that move. I have nothing against the other members of the Neal Morse Band, but I prefer hearing Neal all the time. This track is hard to judge, since it's part of a larger conceptual piece, but it has Neal playing some of his heavier material of late. The religious story is clear, and fuels the heaviness, but the song suffers from its nature. By being part of a bigger work, it feels a bit incomplete, because I can hear where it's supposed to segue into the next part. It's a fine song, but it doesn't work entirely as a single. Still, it points in the right direction.
Nightmare – Aeternam
This song didn't have a chance of being anything but disappointing. Nightmare's previous album was phenomenal, and a power metal favorite of recent years. That was entirely due to Maggy Luyten's vocal performance which was both exceptional, and aimed straight at my heart (I explained it when I reviewed the record). She has left the band, and the new singer simply doesn't have the same power and grit to match the band when they want to play heavy, nor does her melody really capture me. It's all fine, but it pales in comparison to what Nightmare gave us last time. I can't hear this as anything else. I was hoping for more, and maybe the record will give us that, but this song is a letdown.
No comments:
Post a Comment