by Justin Gaines
– Senior Columnist —
Oh, now this is going to be something special. This self-titled, 3-song EP is the first taste we get of The Paralydium Project, a new band featuring former Dynazty guitarist John Berg alongside current Dynazty members Georg Egg (drums) and Jonathan Olsson (bass) as well as keyboardist Micke Jansson and vocalists Mikael Sehlin and Linnea Vikstrom (Therion).
The Paralydium Project plays Progressive Metal with a strong melodic aspect. Think Circus Maximus, Pagan’s Mind and The Deadstation. It hits that sweet spot between technicality and catchiness, and impresses greatly in the process. Berg’s guitar work is incredible, and is complemented very well by Jansson’s keyboards. Sehlin’s vocals are a huge part of the appeal here. He has tremendous power and range, and even drops some growls on occasion. We only hear Vikstrom briefly, but she adds another dimension to “Astral Liberation.”
We only get three songs here (averaging about 7 minutes each), but that’s enough to whet the appetite for the full-length release. These are three songs that are going to get a lot of plays in the months to come.
The Paralydium Project could very well be the next big thing in the Melodic Progressive Metal scene. Fans of Circus Maximus and Pagan’s Mind in particular should be all over this one, and anyone who’s into catchy prog metal with killer vocals will want to pick up this (digital-only) release.
Genre: Progressive Metal
Band:
John Berg (g) (k)
Georg Egg (d)
Jonathan Olsson (b)
Micke Jansson (k)
Mikael Sehlin (v)
Linnea Vikstrom (v)
Track Listing:
1. New Frontier
2. Bringer of Life
3. Astral Liberation
Label: Self-released
Website: https://www.facebook.com/tppofficial1
Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10
