Melodic Revolution Records and Wings of Destiny are thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated new concept album Revelations will officially be released worldwide via all Digital platforms on June 7th
This will be Wings of Destiny’s 4thfull length album, the new production features the participation of x – Mayan and current Firewind vocalist Henning Basse (Germany), ex-Helloween and leader of Masterplan the extraordinary guitarist Roland Grapow (Germany & Czech Republic), in addition, virtuoso keyboardist & guitarist Bob Katsionis (Greece) of Firewind & Outloud performs on the release.
All the songs of the album is interconnected in a single story about a young man who dives into an incredible vision, being his dark inner journey, in which he must face the demons and save the world, sacrificing his own life, in the event described as ” Revelations “, facing the supreme evil, represented by an entity called ” Chaos “.
During this incredible story, the young man, with the help of the guardian angels, who accompany him in the battle that occurs inside him, delivers his life and his body, being possessed, in order to destroy the immortal enemy of humanity… will the story continue?… you will know when listening to the full album, this is a true fantasy story that is developed through the songs.
“It was decided to take it to another level with this one, adding a lot of musical styles, memorable melodies, orchestration, ripping solos and vocals. Also, the lyric content was profound, there are references to Lord Byron “My Soul is Dark” poem in the song “Lost in the Dark” and Robert Louis Stevenson “Requiem” poem in the song “Requiem.”
Each song on the album stands on its own, but it should be taken as a whole conceptual work. International artists such as Roland Grapow, Bob Katsionis, and Henning Basse certainly gave it additional artistic punch and spin. There is also one completely acapella piece “Divine?” that is a prelude to the song “Rising Chaos” that includes a completely new element to the band`s sound showing the versatility of what can be done without instruments whatsoever. It can be considered as our most ambitious and complex work so far.”, says Anton Darusso, leading man, composer, and producer of the band.
REVELATIONS TRACK LISTING 1. Revelations 2. Divine? (chaos theme) 3. Rising Chaos ** 4. Here We Go 5. Facing the Beast* 6. Stand and Fight 7. Under the Moon 8. Free Fall 9. Lost in the Dark 10. Wake me Up*** 11. Possessed 12. Requiem 13. Post Mortem
Features Bob Katsionis on keyboards * Features Roland Grapow on guitar & Bob Katsionis on keyboards ** Features Henning Bass ***
Wings of Destiny Anton Darusso (Vocals & Keyboards) Cristian “Mythos” Jiménez (Guitars) Daniel Chaves (Guitars) Emil Minott (Bass) Roberto Ulloa (Drums)
Album production: Anton Darusso & Juan Pablo Calvo Wings of Destiny is produced by Anton Darusso & Cristian Jiménez. Arrangements: Anton Darusso & Wings of Destiny All music written by Anton Darusso, except “Free Fall” by Daniel Chaves & Anton Darusso and except “Lost in the Dark”, music written by Anton Darusso & Emil Minott. All lyrics and concept developed & written by Anton Darusso.
Sound Engineers: Juan Pablo Calvo & Aleksey Stetsyuk Recorded, mixed and mastered at: Bushido Audio Productions [Costa Rica] & Grave Town Productions [Belarus]
Artist Tour & Booking Management: Eduardo Marenco Chase, [email protected] phone: 00521 5513395898 Metal Union Productions (Mexico) Press contact [Costa Rica]: Jairo Delgado Vargas, [email protected] phone: (506)609-10220 Wings of Destiny contact e-mail: [email protected]
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.
Label: Independent Release Year: 2017 Country: Slovakia Genre: Progressive/Power/Melodic Metal
Band Members
Mayo Petranin – Vocals Ronnie König – Bass/Backing Vocals Filip Koluš – Guitars Ján Tupý – Keyboard/Backing Vocals Jaro Jančula: – Drums
Track Listing Decennium Primum Unfold The Mystery Damnatio Ad Bestias Screaming For Justice Kingdom Of Light The Future King Well Deserved Thunder And Rain Train To Neverland A Psalm Of Life
This particular review is in dedication of the lives lost and property damaged in South and South-East Texas USA due Hurricane Harvey. This album has many encouraging and uplifting messages. Trust me I went through Hurricane Harvey as well.
Power Metal has allowed and afforded many bands the true liberty of writing about just anything from a lyrical perspective. On top of its sheer majestic aesthetic instrumentally it allows the band a direct storyboard to its intended audience. This is why many power metal bands are booked during the European Metal Festivals, such as Wacken Open Air, High Voltage or Keep It True, in summer. The bands write such anthems that the audience does not only digest but actually sings those anthems back to the bands delivering them. This holds more truth and conviction when the songs have a deeper meaning of faith, political issues or just issues about life. This has held true for about a decade for Slovakian power metal powerhouse band Signum Regis.
In a area that has seen much upheaval and tribulation since the birth of The Roman Empire and Christianity over 2000 years ago through imperial conquest and barbaric bloodshed to being utterly dictated by modern Nazism and later Communism, comes a band that has been a light and beacon of some of the most uplifting and encouraging power metal for a decade plus. This being Signum Regis. Instead of swelling on their dark past they choose to use Jesus Christ and Christianity to bring hope to a otherwise turbulent world. Their brand new independently released Decennium Primum, which is Latin for The First Decade, brings this type of positive emotion to a world that seems to be fracturing before our very eyes.
Decennium Primum is one of those albums that grow on a person the more they listen to it. Even power metal fans that subscribe to more of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy subjects or the horror and science fiction subjects that dominate the genre. Decennium Primum articulately explores subjects of the Old Testament and 1st Century AD Christian church. Although not a ‘Concept Album’, there is still a common thread or theme throughout the album. Decennium Primum is also the band’s fifth official studio album. Signum Regis come in the same vein of other Christian based power metal bands like Narnia, Golden Resurrection, Theocracy and Teremaze. However Signum Regis still have their own unique distinctive sound that keeps them from being clones of those bands I just mentioned. Decennium Primum is a total brilliant example of that. Now a inside look and highlights from every track on Signum Regis Decennium Primum .
Decennium Primum is basically a opening instrumental that serves as a very smooth and seamless transitional track to the following track Unfold The Mystery.
Unfold The Mystery is a straight away speed power metal track. It has very fast straight away traditional power metal riffs that are celebrated in the genre. The double blast beats and deep bass also set the tone for a fast yet coherent chord progression. The band start to establish high harmonies in the vocal. The lead vocal alongside the power metal atmosphere allow the lyrical content to breathe and shine through. The rhythm guitar and lead guitar interchange with very cunning timing. The guitar solo’s are also blended with beautiful atmospheric endorsements.
Damnatio Ad Bestias explodes with monstrous and blistering chord progressions both on the stringed sections and the rhythm sections. Mayo Petranin – Vocals reminds me of a cross between Jorn Lande and Russell Allen. His vocal certainly has a bite about that fits the instrumental quite well. The rhythm guitar and the lead guitar certainly develop a melodic relationship in regards of the composition. This track demonstrates the bands ability to make their point and move forward without the typical grandstanding that is often associated with progressive/power metal.
Screaming For Justice opens up with a little bit darker instrumental that shows the band’s heaviness. The band continues the beautiful display of harmony and how it perfectly compliments the melody within the instrumental. The band is starting to really establish the vocal harmonies as a major factor on the album with this track. They continue to remain spot on with their objective. The lyrical content is very uplifting giving light within the dark instrumental aesthetic. Filip Koluš – Guitars is becoming a one man twin attack on the guitar.
Kingdom Of Light opens up with a brief powerful guitar solo. That is followed by a break where the vocal is allowed to be spot-lighted where they can start to pull the listener into the story of the lyrical content. The break has a beautiful acoustic guitar creating a atmosphere that serves as a anchor for the track. This is all accompanied by deep rhythm section chord progressions. This track is also well written enough to be a single. It pops out like that. Plus the solo’s keep changing as to not bore the listener. All the instruments are allowed to breathe so the listener can hear every one distinctively.
The Future King explodes out of the first note with a deep groove laden rhythm guitar chord progression. Then the equally deep rhythm section melody comes in beautiful harmony with the stringed section. All of this blends very well to uplift the beautiful harmony vocally. The band continues with their very positive lyrical content. This is another track that would work as a single along with the previous song Kingdom Of Light.
Well Deserved opens up with another thunderous instrumental passage. The guitars are well tracked along with the rhythm section. The bands message continues on point with a spiritual message. The chord progressions are very brooding. The band displays its progressive side very heavily on this song. It does have a beautiful bass/drum rhythm section done so eloquently by Jaro Jančula: – Drums and Ronnie König – Bass/Backing Vocals.
Thunder And Rain opens up with a beautiful A-capella choir with the chorus first. This continues to display to the listener that the band will not be pigeonholed into the typically fast power metal opening. This track also opens up with a very anthemic consistency that is very celebrated in the progressive/power metal genre. The opener comes into the tradition of a band like Blind Guardian. Soon the song takes on familiar characteristics power metal territory. Fast blast beats and bass anchor the song while the stringed sections and vocals can provide the hook to reel in the listener. Once again even with only one guitarist in the band, Signum Regis overdubs the track deceptively allowing for there to be a appearance of a twin lead guitar arsenal.
Train To Neverland opens up with a very proper train sounding effect. From there it blisters the listener with high vocal harmonies that are carried by both the stringed section and deep bass/drum rhythm sections. This track has a very traditional quality in as much as there is the verse/bridge/chorus, that is sometimes lacking in the progressive power metal communities. The guitar solo’s and bass/rhythm sections keep the album grounded and on point. This also applies with the lyrical content.
A Psalm Of Life is the final song on the album. It opens up like a guitar players delight with the anthemic opening chord progression passage. This is a fast thought straight away power metal track. This song brings in all the personality that has been demonstrated with this album. There are some Iced Earth style rhythm guitars working on this one. The harmonies remain on point showing the bands ability to keep the attention of the listener. This is also properly the final arranged song on Decennium Primum.
I have admired Signum Regis from afar for the last 7 to 8 years. They are certainly a band that will continue to uphold the this type of progressive/power metal. They are also one of the many pillars of this brand of music. The band also knows how to keep the attention in a way where the listener has no acceptable reason to become bored or not interested in the product itself. On all those points above I am giving Signum Regis Decennium Primum a 4.5/5.
Pennsylvania’s Progressive/Power Metallers MindMaze are set to launch a brand new Kickstarter on August 18th. The quartet has been working on a lot of new original music and plan to give fans a taste of their new, somewhat stylistically different material via a new EP that will be released in 2018. This EP will featured 3 new original songs, 2 of which will be exclusive to this release. It will also feature a few covers, including Iron Maiden’s “Déjà vu” and Queensryche’s “Roads to Madness” that were chose via the last Kickstarter project by fans. Vocalist Sarah Teets says,
“We really just want to make sure we do something awesome for all our fans who have continued to support us over the years. The band has been able to do so much of what we’ve done purely because of our fans. We wouldn’t be here without them.”
This new release will feature keyboard work from Jonah Weingarten of Pyramaze, who toured live with MindMaze in May when they toured the US and Canada with Arkona and Sirenia.
MindMaze also just relaunched their official website with the help of graphic designer Mallory Jacobson.
Here is a video for “Slave to the Cycle”was a new studio track off of MindMaze’s limited edition Dreamwalker EP, released July 27th, 2015. Their first Kickstarter campaign !!
Throughout my adventures into writing reviews of albums here at Power Of Prog, it is no secret that I do reviews on bands that are fronted by women. I believe that women have just as much a equal contribution into progressive rock, progressive metal and just music in general. Therefore when I met Insatia’s Zoe Marie Federoff on Facebook I was highly interested in their new release for 2017 Phoenix Aflame on Pitch Black Records. Insatia are a North American powerhouse with members from both the USA and Canada. Although they are from North America they provide the listener with a more European flavour of progressive power metal.
Insatia are like a Second GenerationNightwish meets Lacuna Coil with heavier power metal elements found in Blind Guardian, Avantasia and Gamma Ray. This is a type of band that could easily play a Female Metal Voices Festivaland turn around and play at Wacken Open Airwith the right circumstances. Now a little track by track analysis of Insatia’s Phoenix Aflame.
IntroLand Of The Living opens up almost in a traditional world music vocal. Zoe Federoff certainly channels the inner Enya with chat style vocals. Soon the rest of the band joins her and the vocals along with the instrumental half serve a heavily pastoral purpose.
Act Of Mercy transitions quite seamlessly and smoothly with a spoken word section before the instruments kick in again. With a mid range in speed the band utilizes various chord changes to craft together a balance of both progressive and power metal passages. The vocal echoes also are allowed to breathe where the listener can hear them come through. The chord progressions rest more in progressive metal than power metal in the latter parts of this track.
Memory Of A Sapphire explodes with a fury of strings between the really heavy rhythm guitar riffs and the beautiful crystallize keyboards of Ivan Moni Bidin. At times it sounds like a blend of Blind Guardian on the power metal end meets Vanden Plas on the progressive metal end. This is loaded with various guitar solos, rhythm guitar portions that are all anchored by the bass/drum rhythm section. Zoe Marie Federoff does a wonderful job here singing on perfect time to both the stringed sections and rhythm sections. Kaelen Sarakinis – Guitars really channels his inner Emppu Vuorinen (Nightwish) on the rhythmic side to the guitar.
Sacred opens up with a violin induced classical metal chord progression. This is soon accompanied by the crunchy raw rhythm guitar section. Soon the entire instrumental half kicks in and makes this a more neo classical delight. The rhythm section is very heavy handed while the keyboard lends a beautiful atmosphere perfect for a power metal style track. There are some progressive metal elements with various time signatures and frequent changes in the rhythmic section. The violin section adds a symphonic flare to the song a well.
We Are The Gray opens up with a nasty tuned down drum based rhythm section that is accented perfectly with a classical keyboard atmosphere to accompany it. The rhythmic portion of this one is very clean and easy to follow. The keyboard and other stringed atmospheres allow for actual emotion to come through and be shown. The band uses overdubbed backing tracks to really make the vocals feel warmer. The guitar solo is also allowed to breathe in its various stages.
Phoenix Aflame is obviously the namesake track to the entire album. It starts out with a furious fury of really heavy guitar chord progressions. The entire opening passage is seriously blistering. There is a beautiful Hammond Organ style keyboard running parallel to the blistering guitar and rhythm led passages. This is one of the heavier songs on the album. It is also very progressive in nature with various time changes and chord progressions much in the vein of Kamelot or SymphonyX . The bass really bleeds through as well.
Not My God starts off with a heavy classically based piano section. The opening really leads the listener into a very beautiful power ballad full of emotion. I stress ‘Power Ballad’ because it is both really heavy with the various progressions and very much a ballad at the same time. This is a more modern ‘Power Ballad’ instead of one you would find in 1980’s to early 1990’s AOR/Hard Rock. It rests more in a song like Kamelot’s The Haunting.
Captor And The Captive is another song that opens up with a lush classical piano melody much like a ‘Power Ballad’. Soon it opens up much like a heavy progressive metal chord progression. I hear a lot of influence from a Dream Theater’s Another Day at the start. Soon this levels out into more of a power metal melody that is met with a light pop sensibility. This is a ‘Gateway’ song for a newer listener or fan to power metal or progressive metal. This is a song that is excellent for live sets to draw more newer fans as well is retaining the current fan base.
Velvet Road opens up with a beautiful acoustic passage that is met with very angelic vocal inspired opening passage. This song reminds me a lot of what you would hear out of the singer-songwriter community. This has a beauty about it due to its unplugged nature. This also allows the lyrical story to be front and center due to its unplugged nature and emotion. This even has a 16th Century Renaissance style about it.
Healer Of Hatred starts off with a very blistering opening chord progression. This is also the final track on the album. The band does a great job with this finale to Phoenix Aflame. This is blistering straight away neo classical power metal in its very essence. With heavy charging rhythm guitars that follow beautiful drum blast beats this is a true headbanging tour de force on all levels. The rhythm section in harmony to the guitar solos add to the beautiful atmosphere to this song.
There is obviously no doubt that Insatia have all the tools and talent for a steadfast career in this style of heavy progressive power metal. With the right promotional mechanism and time they will be major players on the world scene. They are also proof that this kind of metal will be around for at least another generation to come. Another thing that I like about this album was that the band made it short and sweet and to the point. That is something they will benefit from due to this being a sophomoric effort. Considering all this I give Insatia’s Phoenix Aflame a very strong 4.75/5 .
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