by John Kindred
— Publisher —
Shredguy Records continues to keep Shred guitar alive. This go-around the label offers up its 41st studio album with the release of Amyr Abadawn’s The New Chapter.
Hailing from Singapore, Abadawn, guitarist and producer, combines elements of Middle Eastern and modern Metal genres into 11 original compositions. The music is dark, atmospheric, and moody.
Opening the album is “As the South Sea Churned.” The breaking of waves on the shore is heard as the song begins when suddenly the band enters alongside a female operatic vocal. While the vocal plays out for a few bars, eventually they fall away to a repeating chord arrangement that carries on throughout the rest of the song. No more vocals. No guitar solos. Honestly, the song seems incomplete.
“The Eastern Nights of Mystical Glaze” follows a similar pattern, again featuring a female operatic vocal, which at least on this song, returns midway through the track. “Wrath of Horus” follows suit with more of the same. Screamo vocals grace “The Bloody Killing of Human Sins” and “A Fallen Memories,” and while not a fan, the music needed the element of a vocalist carrying the songs. Back to instrumental on “March of the Desert Army,” “Desert Warrior” and “The Victory.”
Finally, on the tenth song, “The Freedom,” we get a complete listenable vocal performance. Female operatic vocals provide a nice counter punch to the heavy driving grooves. There is also a nice lead break. The album closes with the final instrumental song “Anubis Return.”
Awesome musicianship and production cannot save this release from being great ambient background music. Nothing sticks to ribs on this release, leaving the listener hungry for something more. Plenty of promise and potential. The best two tracks arrive at the end of the CD.
Band:
Amyr Abadawn – All guitars
Naman – Drums
Wazzmo – Scream Vocals
Fatin SerulingLady – Flute
Cavallotto Rossana – Opera vocals
Track Listing:
1. As the South Sea Churned
2. The Eastern Nights of Mystical Glaze
3. Wrath of Horus
4. The Bloody Killing of Human Sins
5. The Seruling Princess
6. A Fallen Memories
7. March of the Desert Army
8. Desert Warrior
9. The Victory
10. The Freedom
11. Anubis Return
Label: Shredguy Records
Rating: 7/10
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(6.8 / 10)
