by Kev Rowland | Jul 8, 2018 | Reviews
When I first came across 3rDegree some years ago, I said that they reminded me a great deal of the long-lost City Boy, and it was interesting to hear how much of an impact they had had on the band. However, Robert James Pashman (bass, keyboards, backing vocals – and who is also responsible for getting me drinking Trappist-style beers) later informed me that none of them had heard of the band, and it was only after reading reviews mentioning them as an influence that they sought them out! Having given maximum marks to their previous three albums (I’ve only noticed that although I have their 1993 debut I’ve never reviewed it, must amend that at some point), I was looking forward to hearing this 2015 release. But, it arrived while I was working on my book, so ended up in the never-ending backlog. However, with the arrival in 2018 of the second part of the concept, it allows me to review them back to back (and thankfully the guys have been very understanding).
What we have here is a science fiction concept album, set in the fairly near future, where it is possible to live forever or be enhanced in some ways. It is the mix between the human and the machine, the analog and the digital, that makes the story what it is. Although all the lyrics are contained in the digipak, it is easy to understand the storyline without them due to the wonderfully clear vocals of singer George Dobbs, and the fact that they allow the story to tell itself. No need for complex analogies, let’s get to it: my only complaint is that I found it quite distracting while driving, as I would rather listen to what was going on instead of paying attention to the road. We may not have many drivers down here, but our roads aren’t exactly straight and wide.
Musically we are firmly back in the realms of City Boy, with an additional UK band that may surprise many, 10 CC. It took me ages to work out what the harmonies and key changes reminded me of, and then I realized it was like listening to parts of ‘Deceptive Bends’. Added to this surreal pop/rock/prog mix they have added plenty of Utopia for good measure, and come up with something that is instantly 3rDegree, instantly accessible, and guaranteed to make the listener sit there with a massive smile on their face. The one song I found most interesting was “We Regret To Inform You”, which includes the robotic voice of Valhalla Biotech explaining that there has been a slight issue with the recent procedure on the protagonist’s father. I can’t say any more than that without giving away the plot, but coming from an IT background this song really did appeal to my inner geek, and it works incredibly well. Add to that some beautifully phased and treated rock guitar and it is a total delight.
3rDegree probably isn’t a name that too many people recognize from the progressive scene, but as I write this, this album is rated as being #6 on the charts for 2015 releases on ProgArchives. Looking at what is above it, all I can say is that it is in the wrong position, as it should be #1. Absolutely essential, crossover progressive rock doesn’t get any better than this.
http://www.3rdegreeonline.com/3RDegree/Landing.html
10/10
Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Jul 8, 2018 | Reviews
Apparently, this Canadian quartet has been around since 2008, but although this is the first I have heard of them, I am sure that this name is soon going to be far more widely known as this is a really enjoyable album. They appear to have released an album back in 2011, but only Nathan Da Silva (vocals, guitar) and Sarah Westbrook (keyboards, samples are still in the band from then, with the line-up now completed by Alberto Campuzano (bass, vocals) and Brendan Soares (drums, vocals). What we have here is a crossover prog/AOR album with hard rock elements, and when the press company states that here is a band that has been heavily influenced by Rush I can see what they mean not only in the vocals but in the approach.
The whole approach is somewhat softer than their fellow Canucks, mellow and more Seventies influenced in many ways, but the bass is played with a pick, giving a harder edge that pushes through the layers. Apparently, they have supported Protest The Hero, which must have been interesting billing as musically the bands are incredibly diverse, but it is quite possible that they are more metallic live, and certainly opener the driving “Awaken” could crunch quite heavily if left to its own devices. I did smile when I noticed that in the press release it states that this album could be of interest to fans of Megadeth, and I guess that’s true if everyone has tastes as diverse as mine, otherwise somehow I think that comment misses the mark. But, overall this is a fun album that certainly made me smile, and I had no problem putting this on repeat, which isn’t something I often do. For fans of Rush, particularly the more mellow AOR crossover stylings. https://www.theslyde.ca
7/10
Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Jul 8, 2018 | Reviews
I haven’t considered myself religious for many years, but have no issue with those that do, and consequently am as happy to listen to religious albums as I do that portray cannibalism or Satanism. This means that I probably listen to more music with an open mind than many, as I guess that there are quite a few people who would balk at purchasing an album that is described as White Metal. But, Stryper is a band who I used to admire a great deal. I lost track of them over the years, but still, have their first two albums on vinyl (‘The Yellow and Black Attack’ and ‘Soldiers Under Command’), and their live video from Japan from the same period. My sister bought the album that probably broke them, ‘To Hell With The Devil’, but then the world changed in so many ways. The band eventually broke up in the early Nineties, before reforming in 2003, since which they have been consistently playing and releasing new music. Amazingly they still have the same singer/guitarist (Michael Sweet), lead guitarist (Oz Fox) and drummer (Robert Sweet) as they did when the band was originally formed as Roxx Regime some 35 years ago. Ex-Firehouse bassist Perry Richardson joined in 2017, is only the third incumbent, so they have been incredibly stable.
The opening track, “Take It To The Cross” features a guest appearance from Matt Bachand (Shadows Fall, Act Of Defiance) on death growls, which shows just how far they have come from the glam days when I used to follow them! What has always been the saving grace (sorry) of Stryper for me, is that at the heart of it they are all actually good musicians, who write catchy songs with hooks, and they have a singer with a really great voice. Whereas many other bands with a Christian message tend to stay within that scene, Stryper broke out into the mainstream and have sold more than ten million albums, most to non-Christians. All these years on and they are still as polished as ever, while they may not ever win marks for most original music, this is commercial hard rock that contains edge and melody and those all-important vocals. If, like me, you only remember Stryper from the early days then in many ways they are still the band they used to be, although they are definitely now more metallic than the hard rock pop of yore. A great addition to their canon, and well worth hearing.
7/10
Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Jul 8, 2018 | Reviews
Here we have a band describing this as an EP, but at 32 minutes long I do often get sent albums that are shorter than this. Influenced by Wintersun, The Faceless, Dragonforce, Blind Guardian and Omnium Gatherum among others, here we have a death metal band that is also taking in influences from power metal and even some symphonic acts, and I could easily see them sharing a stage with the likes of Betraying The Martyrs. They get everything right this with this release, it is hard and heavy, complex and intricate, with great musicianship and production that is able to handle it. I am more than a little surprised to see that this is a self-release as I would have thought that a band producing music as powerful as this would have been grabbed by a label.
They now have two EP’s and a single behind them, but they need to be grabbed by someone who can give the band the promotion they deserve and get them back into the studio for an album. Or repackage this with the older releases if they are strong enough, and put that out as a stop gap. If you enjoy melodic, heavy, structured and complex music that takes elements from different areas and creating something powerful, then this is for you.
7/10
Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Jul 8, 2018 | Reviews
Somerville has written and recorded with bands such as After Forever, Edguy, Kamelot, Epica, Avantasia, and Mayan, and this is her second release as Trillium. ‘Alloy’ was released in 2011 when it was credited to just Trillium, so it appears that there are views somewhere that she needs to be pushed more to the fore, yet keep a link to the last album. Either way, whenever I see a band name extended with the name of a member I do ask, why bother? Anyway, there is no doubt that Amanda has an amazing voice, and it is no surprise that she has appeared on other people’s albums as well. She is a strong alto, which allows her to go sing in a slightly lower register than many other female singers, with power and control, yet still hit higher notes when the need arises without going to the very heights of sopranos.
It may have been seven years since her last solo album, but as well as being in demand in the symphonic metal world she has also got married and had a baby, so life has been rather full on. Musically this is a symphonic metal album, which to be honest doesn’t really stand out too much from many of the other albums around, but what makes the real difference are Amanda’s vocals which are direct, and contain such incredible power that it cuts through like a hot knife. The album has been designed as a vehicle for her voice, so even though the songs aren’t as rich and as expressive as I would wish them to be, the album is still far superior to what it would be with many other singers. Perhaps her forte does lie with other bands, such as the mighty Kamelot or Epica, but fans of the genre should still try and hear this at least.
6/10
Kev Rowland
