Clairvoyants Word to the Wise
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
Wow. Could anyone have predicted that the best power metal album (so far) of 2009 would be from a cover band? Granted, Clairvoyants is an Iron Maiden cover band, and you know that if they can pull of Maiden songs for the better part of a decade they have to be pretty good at what they do. Still, technical proficiency doesn’t always translate into songwriting ability (see: Malmsteen, Yngwie), which is why an album like Word to the Wise is such a pleasant surprise.
It’s also something of a surprise that the Clairvoyants sound isn’t a direct copy of Iron Maiden’s style. Obviously the influence is there, but that’s been true of roughly 99% of metal bands since 1982. They don’t even sound very similar to the typical Labyrinth, Rhapsody of Fire Italian power metal stalwarts. Instead Word to the Wise is a heavy hitting, melodic power metal album that brings to mind the more “muscular” bands like Brainstorm, Symphorce, and the late lamented Tad Morose. The guitar work (from no less than three guitarists) is very impressive, but Gabriele Bernasconi’s vocals really seal the deal. The man manages to convey an incredible amount of power and energy without resorting to high octave histrionics, and his voice brings to mind both Andy Franck and Urban Breed, which is definitely a plus.
Word to the Wise is not sing-song dungeons & dragons “metal”. Listen to songs like “Sheer Hate” and the epic opening track “Journey Through the Stars” and you know this is a band that hasn’t overlooked the spirit of heavy metal. It’s a power metal album in the original Maiden/Priest/Dio sense of the term. As expected, there is an Iron Maiden cover on the album (a faithful rendition of “Hallowed Be Thy Name”), but it says a lot about the quality of the band’s original material that the Maiden cover, solid as it is, was like coming down from the high the rest of the album provided.
If you’re a fan of bands like Brainstorm, Tad Morose, Vision Divine, Thunderstone and (obviously) Iron Maiden, you’re bound to like what you hear on Word to the Wise. It’s extraordinarily strong for a debut album, and really is one of the best power metal albums released this year. Not bad for a cover band.
Label: Valery Records
Lineup:
Ivan Mastrosimone – Guitar
Luca Princiotta – Guitar
Manuel Pisano – Drums
Massimo Tettamanti – Guitar
Paolo Turcatti – Bass
Gabriele Bernasconi – Vocals
Track Listing:
1. Journey Through the Stars
2. The Lone
3. Choose the Truth
4. The Pain of Sight
5. Sheer Hate
6. Back to My Dreams
7. Step Aside
8. Closure
9. Word to the Wise
10. Hallowed Be Thy Name
Online: On MySpace
HRH Rating: 8.5/10