For the better part of 17 years now Hammers of Misfortune have been one of progressive metal’s best kept secrets. Always carrying critical acclaim, the band continue to carve there own unique path within the progressive metal and metal community in general. No matter what label they have been on or promotion they have had behind them, Hammers of Misfortune have certainly never compromised their musical philosophy.
Hammers of Misfortune have created a very vintage progressive sound with all the elements of late 1960’s to early 1970’s progressive and stoner elements. They have done this by adding very modern and relevant metal elements and passages instrumentally. Lyrically they have ventured into conceptual realms of politics, war and even fantasy. This remains the case with their newest 2016 offering off Metal Blade Records titles Dead Revolution.
Hammers Of Misfortune’s Dead Revolution carries a little piece of every album from their debut The Bastard until now. On Dead Revolution the band certainly gets to the point of their message both instrumentally and lyrically. Dead Revolution is just not well written it is well crafted paying attention to detail on melody and harmony, a signature that Hammers Of Misfortune have built a career out of. Now to some highlights from every track of Hammers of Misfortune’s Dead Revolution.
The Velvet Inquisition is the first track on the album. It starts as a straight away blistering prog metal delight in the galloping vein of early NWOBHM with progressive elements before settling into a more mellow progression on the opening verse. It opens with very warm harmonies that are soon joined with lush backing vocals. The solo’s and time signatures are wicked more in the vein of a bands like later Enslaved and Ulver. The band are real super tight on the rhythm section as if it comes second nature to them. The old school Hammond style synth is insanely tight with the rhythm section.
Dead Revolution the title namesake of the track stays right on course with the straight away tight rhythm section. It is another blistering track. This track is more on a progressive thrash level. The Hammond style synth takes it up to a whole other level with a very 1970’s style atmosphere with modern hooks and melodies. The harmonies are really smooth even to the most discriminating of audio pallets. The solo’s remind me a lot of early Iron Maiden meets Diamondhead with a twist of current Opeth, (post growls). There are some beautiful echo backing vocals as well as a perfect compliment to the main lead vocal.
Sea Of Heroes starts off with a really blistering rhythm guitar intro. This is followed by an thunderous bass/drum rhythmic section. This is a slower but far darker track on the album. The vocal harmonies are even presented in a more ghostly, yet haunting fashion. The band still remains on point with the main objective towards the vision for Dead Revolution. Towards the end the band employ almost a choral theme for the vocal harmony as if a mini choir is present in studio live while recording.
The Precipice ( Waiting For The Crash) opens up with a very thunderous drum solo that is quickly followed my the rhythms of bass and riffs of guitars with beautiful keyboard atmospheres to accent the intro. The track then takes a break and drop where a beautiful harmony of the lead vocal and keyboard set the table for the rest of the composition. The lead and backing vocals echoing in and out of one another keep the listener hooked and mesmerized at once. Their echoes beautifully exchange between one another. Instrumentally the time signatures are a perfect compliment with the complexity of the vocal structures. The guitar solo towards then end reminds me very much of the trade off between Dave Murray and Adrian Smith for Iron Maiden.
Here Comes The Sky begins with a subtle yet beautiful acoustic passage. The vocal harmonies sound more like a choir. This is one of the more symphonic and orchestral tracks off of Dead Revolution. The vocal harmonies play quite well to the drum section. The song takes a more progressive angle and continues to climb toward a climatic apex. The rhythm section of drums/bass and guitar are wicked and brooding. This contains a wonderful horned section towards the end on the outro.
Flying Alone rips into a progressive NWOBHM frenzy almost in the vein of Motorhead with a Rick Wakeman playing beautiful keyboard atmosphere. This track makes it quite clear that Hammers of Misfortune wanted to return with a straight up heavy progressive metal album after a 5 year absence since 2011’s 17th Street. The blistering assault continues on this one as well as the other tracks before it on Dead Revolution.
Days Of ‘ 49 ends Dead Revolution in a more stoner doom metal vibe. You can clearly hear bands like Trouble, Black Sabbath and Candlemass influence all over this track. The band still remains on its progressive metal mission however with a more tuned down melody instrumentally and lyrically. The keyboard turns towards a actual piano giving this track a even darker sound.
Hammers Of Misfortune have certainly returned with a total masterpiece. This is a band that has remained very criminally under rated their entire career. This is also a band that deserves European Summer Festival invitation and treatment and even acknowledgement for festivals such as Prog/Power USA and Prog/Power Europe and even Cruise To The Edge . They are one of the best progressive metal bands of the last 20 years and hopefully Dead Revolution will finally garner them the respect by both peers and industry promoters worldwide. I am giving Hammers Of Misfortune’s Dead Revolution a very solid 5/5. This is definitely in my top 10 if not top 5 for 2016 already.
John K. – Orchestral Arrangements on “Remedy Of My Heart” Bob Katsionis – Firewind/Outloud/Serious Black – Keyboards on all songs except “Reincarnation” & “Remedy Of My Heart” Mina Giannopoulou – Backing Vocals on “Remedy Of My Heart” Astrous – Aenaon – Backing Vocals on “Break The Core” & “Remedy Of My Heart”
Greece is such a significant part of the world and its history. It has been for well over 5000 years now. In a part of the world that gave us Western Cultural values such as democracy, the science’s and some of the first arts comes a progressive metal band Sunburst to continue this rich tradition. Not only are they maintaining such a rich tradition, they are actually innovating it in the 21st century. With all the above said, it is very ironic that Sunburst’s debut album is titled Fragments Of Creation.
Fragments Of Creation takes progressive power metal to another level of sound, structure and intensity. Sunburst was birthed out of the minds of of Gus Drax – Biomechanical Paradox,Black Fate,Vasilis Georgiou – Innosense, Black Fate and Kostas Milonas – New Day Slave,Foray Between Ocean,Paradox, Outloud,Nick Grey -Bass. However I would not call them the typical cliche` of a ‘Supergroup’ per say. Sunburst are more like four really technically proficient musicians with a common collective vision.
This four man metal unit has such a wealthy of sound and multiple layers that it gives the listener a audio illusion that there are more that four in the band. This is accomplished through the powerful and thought provoking finger work of Gus Drax – Guitars, who strictly plays a seven stringed guitar on Fragments Of Creation thus providing more sonic and melodic instrumental depth to the album itself. Vasilis Georgiou – Vocals is definitely one of the more soulful voices following in the footsteps of other soulful vocalists as the mighty Roy Kahn ex- Kamelot and his successor in Kamelot, Tommy Kerravick. There seems to be a common conceptual theme about life and death and struggle throughout Fragments Of Creation. Now a breakdown of the monster that is Fragments Of Creation.
Out Of The World starts out with a slamming and thunderous rhythmic passage that is blistering. The band wastes no time with such a beautiful audio assault on the senses. The seven string guitar gives it a very unconventional sound for sure. Between the bass/rhythm sections and guitar rhythm sections tuned down it certainly takes the track to a new depth of sheer heaviness. The shredding solo is quite blistering as well.
Dementia opens up with a beautiful full lush keyboard before going into a wicked time signature based progression. It settles down and Vasilis Georgiou’s vocals open a sense of warmth that really invites the listener into the composition. This is one of the more emotion based track on the album. Lyrically it tells a very articulate story of ones isolation with dementia.
Symbol Of Life begins with a wide open power shred on guitars while the blistering rhythm section creates a atmosphere of fury. This track contains solid choral harmonies that are followed by some passionate and well written time signature progressions. The double blast beats give the track grit along with the powerful solo’s. This track balances both progressive and power metal influences.
Reincarnation tears right into a crunchy and blistering intro. The track carries a more western European element along with some elements of thrash metal in the vein of Death Angel or even Testament. There are even subtle hints of galloping NWOBHM elements within Reincarnation.
Lullaby the first official video single for the album starts out with ethereal layers of atmospheric electric guitar. Warm vocal harmonies perfectly run side by side with warmth and gentleness. These elements plus the lyrical story make this the perfect first single in which to introduce the band to the world. This also has potential to be a staple within live set lists. The solo on this one is definitely charged with great emotion.
End Of The Game begins in a very Everygrey Blinded style of progression. This track has various time signatures and power progressions much in the vein of Symphony X’s Paradise Lost and Pagans Mind’s Enigmatic Calling . The band perfectly balance both sides of the progressive and power metal spectrum’s satisfying the audio pallets of listeners to both sub genres.
Beyond The Darkest Sun opens up with sheer speed power metal elements. The track contains some serious shred work and serious speed rhythmic tenacity. The track therein also contains many various time signatures that continue to support the progressive side to the band. This is a sheer instrumental allowing for the band to display in melodic prowess. It reminds me much of Iron Maiden’s Loss Fer Words off Powerslave.
Forevermore opens up with a wonderful melodic instrumental passage with various signatures before calming down some and the warmth of the vocals take the listener deeper within the track. The band by this time continue to catch the the listener with various great hooks and melodies. By this point in the album the band even seems to tighten up while at the same time becoming more confident in their writing and performing ability.
Break The Core begins with a distortion frenzy before exploding with more infectious hooks, signatures and melodies. The vocals are done with such powerful conviction. The band even incorporates some death metal style vocals in some place creating a even more aggressive composition. The rhythm section has some serious wicked solo’s along with the guitar solo’s. This track has a little bit of everything for even the most discriminating listener.
Remedy Of My Heart is the last track and a nice 12+ minute mini epic. It begins with a symphonic instrumentation along with a choral chant section. This also has a very powerful and beautiful female supporting vocal in Mina Trib Giannopoulou . The instrumental sounds as if a army is marching into battle and every chord reflects that. This track is a very very progressive laden track. It slowly builds up to a pinnacle and climax. There are some nice vocal effects in the backing vocal sections. Remedy Of My Heart is the more methodical and patient track on Fragments Of Creation. The time signatures are very unpredictable that the listener in hooked in both audio channels of the mind.
Sunburst’s Fragments Of Creation certainly took me by surprise. This band is part of the next step in the continuing growth and innovation of pure progressive power metal. Inner Wound Records has one of the best find and sign discovery’s I have heard in many years. Sunburst has the potential to be a staple and fixture at Inner Wound Recordings for many years to come. Sunburst’s Fragments Of Creation gets a 4.5/5 and could easily show up in any top 10 of 2016 album’s list.
Melodic Revolution Records | Feature Album August 2016 Leon Alvarado | The Future Left Behind
Label: Melodic Revolution Records Release Year: 2016 Country: USA Genre : Progressive Rock
Band Members Leon Alvarado – Keyboards/Sequencing/Drums/Percussion/Launch Control Voices Billy Sherwood – Lead and Rhythm Guitars On All Tracks Except “To Be Loved” Rick Wakeman – Moog Solo on “The Launch Overture” and Additional Keyboards Johnny Bruhns – Acoustic Guitar on “To Be Loved” Steve Thamer – Narration
In today’s progressive music climate and culture, it would be arrogant to hold on to the notion that every conceptual album has to have lyrical content to tell a story effectively. Rick Wakeman with ‘Journey To The Centre Of The Earth’ , Kraftwerk with most of their library and even guitar virtuoso’s like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson have all certainly destroys this ‘Myth’ . Now comes Leon Alvaroado with his soon to be released The Future Left Behind. With a open imagination and a objective mindset, the listener can easily allow the narrative throughout this album to set up the instrumental pieces that flow with such masterful and thoughtful continuity.
Some artists have a very uncanny ability to create their own worlds that invite a true objective listener to become enveloped within that world and carry their minds and souls into a place of brief escape or even a small melodic vacation for the hour or so of the album. Leon Alvarado has done a brilliant job doing this on The Future Left Behind. The album certainly has strong cinematic film score elements that blend in well with all the traditional progressive rock and fusion hallmarks.
Leon Alvarado’s The Future Left Behind, is a conceptual piece that describes what the future of the Earth and humanity maybe. The cinematic elements easily rank up there with legendary science fiction film scores as Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, 2001 A Space Odyssey. At the same time ranking right up there with the likes of Jordan Rudess, Derek Sherinian’s PlanetX,Genius A Metal Opera and Ayreon’s Actual Fantasy. Anchored with a very articulate narrative eloquently spoken by Steve Thamer, Leon Alvarado’s brilliant use of sequencing and effects along with the instrumental melody holds the album within the confines of a consumable audio pallet for both progressive purists or those newer and more curious listeners.
Despite the all star line up on this album, Leon Alvarado in a very tasteful and appropriate way allowed for the respective talents to be displayed while maintaining a unique ability to focus more on strong song structure rather than ego carrying it in its duration. First he paints a clear focus with every narrative piece on the album so the instrumental pieces are magnified ten fold allowing the listener to paint the vivid images of the story in the theater of their minds. The all star line up do a brilliant job working within the vision of Leon Alvarado on this project.
Each instrumental track carries its own emotion and paints some very vivid melodic strokes throughout the album. Every layer of sequencing, every rhythm section and keyboard section has its own broad strokes of audio bliss. This is also a album that can translate well to a live atmosphere in concert on stage. In a era where compressed music is force down the throats of the general public, Leon Alvarado’s The Future Left Behind allows every note, progression and passage to breathe allowing the listener to absorb the project with grace. With every listen and rotation there seems to be something new coming to the light of day or something there that has not been noticed before with previous listens.
In conclusion , Leon Alvarado has made a very intricate and artistic statement without compromising his initial vision. It take a lot of courage and risk to make a almost strictly instrumental conceptual piece. Although they are not for everybody they certainly have a niche audience that wants to sit back, chill and allow the theater of their minds to paint a picture alongside the music. I give Leon Alvarado’s The Future Left Behind a 4.5/5 for complete organic vision. This is set for release on July, 30, 2016 on Melodic Revolution Records.
For well over 30+ years Fates Warning have time and again proven why they are one of progressive metal’s staples. Not only are they pioneers of progressive metal, they are the apostles of the genre. There influence is undeniable. Many would agree that without Fates Warning there may not of been a Dream Theater and Symphony X from the USA, Vanden Plas from Germany, Threshold from the United Kingdom, Circus Maximus from Norway and Evergrey from Sweden.
Throughout its history Fates Warning has certainly endured with many line up changes. At the center of the various changes has always been two constants, that being Jim Matheos and RayAlder. It is almost very certain that Jim Matheos and Ray Alder have not lost any vision for Fates Warning. Even before Dream Theater’s Change of Seasons, Symphony X’s The Odyssey and even Green Carnation’s Light of Day, Day Of Darkness, Fates Warning would yield progressive metal’s first true epic in Ivory Gate Of Dreams from 1988’s No Exit album.
In 2016 Fates Warning still have a hand on the banner of progressive metal. This is very apparent with their brand new album and second on the Inside Out Music label called Theories Of Flight. With Theories Of Flight, Fates Warning continue to influence and grow as a band and prove why they are still a standard in the progressive metal community. Theories Of Flight has a little bit of everything Fates Warning has done as a band collective and its various side projects such as OSI, Redemption, Engine, etc ..
Theories Of Flight has a vast collection of elements from straight away progressive metal to avant garde and even ambient elements. The band seems much more rested than they did with their 2013 offering Darkness In A Different Light. The band appears to get right to the point and still allow for the individual compositions to breathe and stand on their own merit. Nothing seems compressed nor hurried in anyway whatsoever.
From The Rooftops opens the album with a very deep ambient tone between the rhythm section and the guitar effects along with the warmth of the vocals of Ray Alder. The intro is definitely filled with emotion before breaking and taking off with a very fierce yet brutal in your face progressive passage. The track definitely has a Jekele and Hyde personality about it. Bobby Jarzombek has added a vicious rhythm intensity at the drums as well.
Seven Stars continues where From The Rooftops left off with a blistering intro before going into a more melodic and harmonic balanced track. The harmony between the vocals and the instrumental portions is as tight as it gets. This track reminds me very much of Fates Warning past with Silent Cries from 1988’s No Exit album. This track is very heavy in its conviction on the vocal harmonies as well.
SOS starts with a crunchy distorted guitar intro before once again going with a all out assault to the audio senses. It also contains some very light thrash elements to it before going into various time progression passages. The bass/drum rhythm section is insanity.
The Light And The Shade Of Things is a more traditional progressive metal track both for its 10+ minutes and its extended intro. The vocals start out very warm to hook the listener into a mini journey throughout the composition. The guitars are very ethereal and ambient in their deliberate nature. The Light And The Shade Of Things is like two tracks going on at once. It is a song of both self reflection and just a straight up kick ass progressive metal track. This is also a ‘gateway track’ for a newer generation of listener and potential fan. It has a tender side and a very aggressive side.
White Flag begins with a very heavy intro before going into a blistering progressive passage. This track is a truly tradition Fates Warning track and a song that can easily translate to visual form for a video if the band chooses. White Flag is very essential to who Fates Warning have grown into song wise. The guitar solo’s are very aggressive.
Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen continues the deliberate assault on the senses. The bands aggressive vision continues for Theories Of Flight. Among all the aggression the band allows for the song to breathe and beautiful melodies to be on display. The band also ventures towards newer time signatures and various effects as well.
The Ghost Of Home opens up with a very non traditional spoken word intro. It is as if a person is changing stations on a television or radio. The vocals draw you in with ease. The Ghost Of Home is the second 10+ minute track on the album. This one certainly has a very heavy OSI influenced progression on it. It reminds me a lot of The Thing That Never Was from OSI’s 2003 deluxe 2 CD edition Office Of Strategic Influence meets a earlier Fates Warning album Disconnected married together. There are areas where their is a ambient element running with perfection with the vocal harmonies.
Theories Of Flight the self titled namesake track begins with some special interstellar space effects. The intro opens in a almost Pink Floydian nature. It also has a deep underlying spoken word effect again. Theories Of Flight is the more eclectic track in tone and nature on the album. It contains very heavy experimental and ambient elements before coming to an sudden end.
In a year where a lot of bands are making ambitious conceptual pieces to remain relevant, or Astonishing, Fates Warning have chosen to make a direct more to the point progressive metal album. This is to satisfy both long time fans and even newer ones. Theories Of Flight is another reminder of who Fates Warning truly are and embody as a band. This album gets a 5/5 for excellence. It also proves why Fates Warning have been fixtures in the progressive metal community over the last 35 years.
Italy has had a very long standing tradition of invention, innovation and engineering. They have used these principals in industry, the arts and sciences and even within the parameters of music. Italian people have a uncanny ability to exert minimal effort and yield maximum results. IfSounds totally fits this definition especially where their 2015 album Reset is concerned. For only five members in ifSounds, their sound gives the listener that there is far much more going on than there really is.
Now to be honest there have been bands in the past use very minimalist elements and come out with a fully layered and warm project. It began with Krautrock in Germany in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s and has continued to more recent genres such as post rock with TOOL and even post metal bands. However ifSounds is one of those bands that come along with the talent enough to blend all those styles I mentioned before, styles that all now have found themselves within the progressive rock/metal banner.
“ifSounds are the images of our dreams and our nightmares. Music is just the shape we give to our stories, our hopes and our fears.” This is how the band describes themselves over on their website. From my observation this could be somebody’s reality or situation with a family member, co worker, boss, friend, etc… ifSounds lyrical content matches the emotion of the instrumental content to a point where people can have time for self reflection. Although their music may not speak to the almost 7 billion people on Earth, it certainly has the quality for those with a opened minds and hearts of objective perception.
Here is a some highlights from Reset.
When I Was Born Again comes in slowly like a impending thunderstorm with the keyboards. Soon the bass heavily comes in and takes the song in another direction. By the time the band comes in with all their parts between the vocal and instrumental there is a minimalist vibe about it. IfSounds have a excellent disposition. They appear to channel early TOOL and Radiohead with a heavier progressive side to the track. This song has a very dark appeal to it. The track ends with a beautiful harmony vocally.
FR9364 opens with some serious drum hi hat work and executed quite well by Lino Mesina . As he carries the heavier progressive passages, the keyboards come in with a sweet ambient sound that gives the song a wash of ambient flair. In some backhanded way the track reminds me of 1970’s WAR with Low Rider with heavier progressive elements.
40-14 is another straight away heavily executed drum/bass rhythm section that is soon matched by a slightly tuned down rhythm guitar. 40-14 is almost like a progressive version of The Who’s My Generation meets much of what the Ray Davies was doing with the kinks. Half way through this track it takes on a heavy heavy psychedelic progression much like in the early Pink Floyd meets Velvet Underground. The band really continues to utilize heavy minimalist passages to perfection here.
Laura begins with a beautiful mandolin with wonderful warm vocals. It is very heavily influenced on the more folk and classical elements. The tracks takes on a real heavy vocal harmony almost like a small choir based folk track like what was coming from New York in the early to middle 1960’s.
I’ve Never Hated Anyone is certainly the anomaly of Reset. This track contains more in your face bombastic elements both in the instrumental and vocal. There is anything from straight away hard rock elements to even very light punk elements. This is also the most metal track on Reset. Finally about the mid point of the song it takes a more progressive hard rock approach with great melody and harmony.
Run Away opens with a beautiful warm and inviting acoustical guitar passage that is soon met in harmony with warm vocal melodies. This track is really led more by the rhythm section of bass/drum and the lyrical content about it. The keyboard at times acts like another guitar in the song.
Flashback opens up with a very Cream like guitar riff. bass and drum rhythmic section. This track is very much rooted in the blues at the start before getting slightly psychedelic. This is very 1960’s old school Prog Rock Italiano. The vocals really carry it.
Fading To Blue opens to a warm almost in the fashion of early darkwave acts like Bauhaus and The Church yet with a 1970’s progression like Popol Vuhl. The back up vocals are almost as instrumental as the warmth of the acoustic guitar. This track adds layers upon layers of various time signatures blended perfectly with the instrumental melodies. This is also a very heavy ambient track in nature.
Reset the namesake of the album opens up as a flow in segue effect from Fading To Blue with a heavy dark atmospheric progression. Reset is like the total collective of the various points that band has executed throughout the album. Reset opens with serious progressions and avant garde time signatures. For five members this track in particular sounds like their are much more members than there actually are. It goes back to the start of this where I said minimal energy maximum distribution. The Tide continues in the vein of both Reset and Fading To Blue with the heavy atmospheric intro’s giving the listener the appearance that the last three tracks may be part of a trilogy. This is definitely heavy on the rhythm section. The Tide closes out the entire Reset album with a extended and wonderful guitar solo. The Tide is the perfect conclusion to Reset.
After a closer listen and spending much time with this album, I have concluded that ifSounds transcend typical progressive rock labels and cliche’s. They can definitely play on more than just a progressive rock live bill. IfSounds Reset gets a 5/5.
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