Fly Machine | Come Metamorphosis

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

Formed in the early 1990s from the ashes of North Carolina-based progressive/thrash/doom metal innovators Confessor, Fly Machine was similar to Confessor in a lot of respects. Both bands embraced technicality and had an unusual approach to their music, pushing the boundaries of the metal genre in interesting new ways. Fly Machine seemed somehow more suited than Confessor to life in the post-Nirvana musical landscape of the mid ‘90s.

Divebomb’s 2012 collection Come Metamorphosis collects the eight demos that made up the original, self-titled (and self-released) Fly Machine disc as well as three additional songs. All of the songs have been remastered by Jamie King at Basement Studios, and the disc features additional multimedia content. The liner notes feature a brief band history from drummer Steve Shelton.

As Shelton points out in the liner notes, some of these songs had their genesis in the Confessor days, so you’re going to hear a lot of that sound on songs like “Empty Circle” and “Downsize.” There’s a more ‘90s vibe to most of the songs on Come Metamorphosis. Maybe that’s due to Dave Dorsey’s vocals, which are less overtly “metal” than Scott Jeffreys or the Soundgarden-like groove that keeps popping up. Either way, Fly Machine’s sound probably would have gone over very well with the alternative rock and metal crowd if they had any kind of spotlight at all. Obviously that wasn’t the case, so Fly Machine’s career was limited to that one self-released album.

Obviously a collection like Come Metamorphosis is going to be of most interest to serious Confessor fans. It’s no accident that this Fly Machine collection comes just as Divebomb has released a collection of early Confessor demos (the excellent Uncontrolled). Both make effective bookends to Confessor’s lone ‘90s album (1991’s Condemned), but beyond that Come Metamorphosis has plenty to offer fans of innovative progressive metal on its own merits.

Genre: Doom Metal, Progressive Metal

Band:
Dave Dorsey (g) (v)
Chris Nolan (g)
Cary Rowells (b)
Steve Shelton (d)

Track Listing:
1. Becoming
2. Cell
3. Take You On
4. Drowning
5. Empty Circle
6. Downsize
7. Mover
8. Victimize
9. Big Down
10. Gun in Me
11. Thrown

Label: Divebomb

Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10

Confessor | Uncontrolled

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

Confessor. Just saying the name in the company of knowledgeable metal fans is enough to cause heads to turn and previous conversations to cease. The North Carolina-based band is one of those rare bands (Manilla Road is another) who are both legendary and largely unknown in the larger metal world. They defied classification, merging thrash, doom and progressive metal elements into a “controlled chaos” that left a mark on all who experienced it. What other band could combine technical (yet still heavy and doom-like) guitar riffs, a piercing vocal wail and ultra-complex mathematical drum rhythms to simultaneously bring to mind Trouble, Metallica and Watchtower? Confessor is rightly known for their 1991 full-length debut Condemned, but the band’s early recordings, largely unavailable until now, shed light on the development and evolution of the still-unique Confessor sound.

Divebomb Records’ 2012 collection Uncontrolled collects all of the band’s early recordings in a deluxe, 2-disc set and throws in some very memorable extras. It includes the 3-song 1988 demo The Secret, the 3-song 1989 demo Uncontrolled, the 3-song 1990 demo Collapse, plus the version of “The Secret” that appeared on Metal Blade’s Metal Massacre X compilation, the version of Uncontrolled” that appeared on Peaceville’s Vile Vibes compilation, and a pair of live songs. All of the songs have been newly remastered by Jamie King and sound absolutely incredible. Uncontrolled also includes a bonus DVD as well as enhanced content on the audio CD that feature rare video footage, and a booklet that includes rare photos and an essay by Mean Deviation author Jeff Wagner.

If you’re already a Confessor fan, it goes without saying that Uncontrolled is a must-have release. Not only does this “fully-loaded” collection bring together a wealth of rare material, it also provides a window into the formative years and creative evolution of this groundbreaking and truly progressive band. If you’re not familiar with Confessor, their debut full-length Condemned is the ideal jumping-on point, but it has been out of print so long that’s not really an option. Until that album gets a proper reissue, Uncontrolled is the best available way to discover this innovative and still overlooked metal band.

Genre: Thrash Metal, Progressive Metal, Doom Metal

Band:
Scott Jeffreys (v)
Brian Shoaf (g)
Graham Fry (g)
Cary Rowells (b)
Steve Shelton (d)

Track Listing:
1. Collapse Into Despair
2. Alone
3. Condemned
4. Uncontrolled
5. Prepare Yourself
6. Suffer
7. The Secret
8. Deception
9. Eve of Salvation
10. Uncontrolled (Vile Vibes version)
11. The Secret (Metal Massacre X version)
12. Word of Praise (live)
13. Addictive Bind (live)

Label: Divebomb

Website: www.confessorband.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10

Status Minor | Ouroboros

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

Finnish progressive metal band Status Minor is back with their second full-length album, titled Ouroboros. The band turned some heads with their 2009 debut Dialog, and if anything Ouroboros is an even stronger album. The band still plays a highly melodic, Dream Theater-inspired brand of progressive metal, but they’ve refined their sound as well as their overall songwriting.

If nothing else, you have to give Status Minor credit for not simply imitating their more popular countrymen in Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica. Instead of taking those bands’ often cold and neoclassical approach to the genre, Status Minor emphasizes powerful melodies and brings some real heaviness that brings to mind Evergrey as well as Train of Thought-era Dream Theater.

While Ouroboros is a strong album throughout, you soon notice that three key elements are driving the overall sound. The first is Sami Saarinen’s guitar work, which is dazzling and technical enough to satisfy most progressive metal fans, and subtle and steady when that’s called for. The second is Jukka Karinen’s keyboards, which play a huge (but not overpowering) role in how these songs sound. So often the keys can sound like an afterthought or simply echo what the guitarist is doing, but that’s definitely not the case here. And of course there’s the vocals. Markku Kuikka has an amazing voice and a terrific range, and he knows just when to break out of that steady mid-range to deliver some extra emphasis. There are also some occasional female backing vocals here, which is a nice touch.

Most of the songs on Ouroboros clock in at the 5-minute mark, and given how melodic and accessible they are, that’s probably a smart move. They’re more effective that way. However, as with Dialog, Ouroboros closes with a massive, overtly progressive song. This time it’s the 10-minute “Sail Away,” which comes directly from the Dream Theater playbook. It’s an obvious highlight, but the more straightforward “Hollow” and “Flowers Die” also stand out.

Ouroboros is another fantastic album from a band that deserves a lot more attention in progressive/power metal circles. Fans of bands like Circus Maximus and Seventh Wonder in particular should definitely enjoy this one. Hopefully this time around Status Minor will get some recognition.

Genre: Progressive Metal

Band:
Eero Pakkanen (b)
Rolf Pilve (d)
Sami Saarinen (g)
Jukka Karinen (k)
Markku Kuikka (v)

Track Listing:
1. The Wind
2. Hollow
3. Glass Wall
4. Like a Dream
5. Confidence and Trust
6. Stain
7. Smile
8. Flowers Die
9. Sail Away

Label: Lion Music

Website: www.statusminor.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.75/10

Royal Hunt | Heart of the City (Best of 1992-1999)

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

Danish melodic/progressive metal band Royal Hunt celebrates their 20th anniversary this year, and what better way to do that than with an extensive, multi-disc “best of” collection that captures the highlights of the band’s career and best albums? Unfortunately, Heart of the City (Best of 1992-1999) does nothing of the sort. The idea of a compilation covering Royal Hunt’s ‘90s output is a good one. There hasn’t been anything like that since 1998’s Best, and that was only available in Japan. The problem with Heart of the City is that it’s limited to a single disc and just ten songs, and those songs appear to have been chosen by someone utterly unfamiliar with the band’s history.

With this collection, you get a pair of songs from each of Royal Hunt’s first five albums, which means that despite being far more successful and superior in just about every way, the DC Cooper-fronted albums Moving Target and Paradox get the same amount of songs as the largely unknown early albums Land of Broken Hearts and Clown in the Mirror, and even then they gloss over some key songs. No “Last Goodbye” or “1348?” No “River of Pain” or “Message to God?” That’s an instant fail right there.

A real best of Royal Hunt’s ‘90s era should ideally have two discs, but failing that the non-DC Cooper albums should have one song each…tops. Throw on “Land of Broken Hearts,” “Clown in the Mirror” and “Fear” and you’re done. After that you want 3-4 songs each from Moving Target and Paradox, plus a song or two from the live albums 1996 and Paradox – Closing the Chapter. Royal Hunt’s career in the ‘90s was defined by DC Cooper’s vocals as much as anything else, and a good “best of” set would acknowledge that.

Heart of the City just doesn’t get the job done. It’s barely acceptable as an introduction for fans unfamiliar with the band, and even then newcomers are better off with a collection like Double Live in Japan. And without any b-sides or noticeable remastering, there’s definitely nothing here for serious Royal Hunt fans to bother with.

Genre: Melodic Rock, Melodic Metal, Progressive Metal

Track Listing:
1. Running Wild
2. Kingdom Dark
3. On the Run
4. Clown in the Mirror
5. Making a Mess
6. Time
7. Tearing Down the World
8. Silent Scream
9. Fear
10. Sea of Time

Label: Scarlet

Website: www.royalhunt.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 5/10

The Reticent | Le Temps Detruit Tout

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

Le Temps Detruit Tout (French for Time Destroys Everything in case you were wondering) is the long-awaited third release from The Reticent, the solo project from Wehrwolfe drummer Chris “Mordrid” Hathcock. The Reticent’s sound remains tough to classify. Progressive metal is probably close, but that paints a misleading picture given all the Dream Theater knockoffs that claim the genre. The Reticent is progressive in the truest sense of the term, and remains one of the best-kept secrets in metal.

It’s been almost four years since The Reticent’s last album (the beautifully dark and utterly brilliant Amor Mortem Mei Erit), and those years find some changes to the band’s overall sound. It’s still very reminiscent of mellower Opeth and Anathema, but there’s a decidedly more metal approach to Le Temps Detruit Tout that brings to mind Tool/A Perfect Circle and perhaps Katatonia. As great as the previous Reticent albums are, they may have been too tranquil for some metal fans. That’s definitely not the case with this album. There are still plenty of somber, acoustic passages, but they’re balanced by heavier (though equally somber) metal numbers. The album as a whole showcases the high level of creativity and musicianship that more than earn the progressive metal tag, but there’s also a sense of atmosphere and emotion that fans of Anathema, Porcupine Tree and Katatonia will relate to. Hathcock’s vocals are another highlight. He has the perfect voice for this kind of music, conveying the solemnity of the lyrics and establishing the album’s overall atmosphere. It’s a beautiful performance, even when he serves up the occasional death metal growl. The lyrics don’t seem as suicidally bleak this time around, but they’re still enough to summon grey clouds and wilt any nearby flowers.

Le Temps Detruit Tout works very well as a cohesive album, especially if you can listen to it in one sitting with a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. It’s longer songs, like “Patience,” “Enemy” and especially “Silence” that really stand out though. They just seem to best reflect the character of the album and capture The Reticent’s sound and spirit. “Nihil Ex Nihilo” closes the proper album, but after that there are a pair of bonus tracks – “With Folded Arms” and a completely somber, completely inspired cover of REM’s “Losing My Religion.”

Once again, The Reticent delivers a stirring and unforgettable album that will absolutely appeal to fans of Opeth (especially Damnation and Heritage-era Opeth), Porcupine Tree, Tool, A Perfect Circle, Katatonia and Anathema. Hopefully this time around Le Temps Detruit Tout gets the attention it deserves. It’s already a contender for 2012’s best album.

Genre: Progressive Metal

Track Listing:
1. Nihil
2. In Pursuit of Redemption
3. Mutually Assured Destruction
4. Enemy
5. Lie to Me
6. Silence
7. Le Tenia
8. Patience
9. Nihil Ex Nihilo
10. With Folded Arms
11. Losing My Religion

Label: Heaven and Hell Records

Website: http://www.facebook.com/thereticentmusic

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10

Persona Non Grata | Quantum Leap

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

Quantum Leap is the second album from Greek progressive metal band Persona Non Grata. When the band debuted with 2009’s Shade in the Light, they were clearly operating from the Dream Theater/Fates Warning playbook, and that’s true of this album as well. You may occasionally detect a darker tone a la Evergrey or a quirky passage reminiscent of Pain of Salvation, but Quantum Leap is for the most part a fairly traditional progressive metal album.

It seems weird that the first thing that jumps out at you when listening to this technical and progressive album is the vocal performance, but it’s true. Aris Pirris has a great range, and he uses every bit of it here to great effect and conveys a wide array of emotions. Musically, there’s a lot to take in. Quantum Leap is a pretty melodic and cohesive album, so you don’t always notice how dazzling the instrumentation is at first, but after a couple spins the intricate keyboard and guitar solos in particular really stand out, as do the complex – but never needlessly so – rhythms.

Quantum Leap may be a fairly standard progressive metal album, but you have to give Persona Non Grata credit for never getting too carried away with technical wankery and keeping the songs between 5-7 minutes in length. They never give you a reason to tune out, and that can make all the difference sometimes.

They may not be re-writing the progressive metal rulebook, but Persona Non Grata is still really good at what they do. If you’re looking for the more adventurous, truly progressive stuff along the lines of Leprous, Haken or Pain of Salvation, this isn’t it. Traditional progressive metal fans – especially those into Redemption, Zero Hour, Illusion Suite, Pathosray and the like – should find a lot to enjoy in Quantum Leap.

Genre: Progressive Metal

Band:
Akis Gavalas (d)
Chris Gatsos (g)
John Ioannidis (k)
Aris Pirris (v)
Chris Vogiatzis (b)

Track Listing:
1. Imaginative Mind
2. Lend a Hand
3. Evil Feelings
4. 9AM News
5. Redemption of Sins
6. Captive
7. Grief
8. Diversity
9. Internia
10. Journey Ends
11. Journey’s End

Label: Massacre Records

Website: www.personanongrata.info

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.75/10

TEAM ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC welcomes NJ progressive metal band FOREVER’S EDGE to their roster

There certainly is something in that NJ water that can produce some incredible music. FOREVER’S EDGE is a conglomerate of metal’s finest featuring Clay Barton (Suspyre), Salvatore Pisano, Andrew Distabile (Suspyre), Mike Pignataro, Samus Paulicelli (Decrepit Birth, ex-Suspyre, ex-Mutiny Within, ex-Abigail Williams), and Sharon MacPherson. Read more

Draekon | Prelude to Tragedy

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

Prelude to Tragedy is the debut EP from Indiana-based progressive/power metal band Draekon. Indiana is hardly the first place you think of when it comes to progressive and power metal bands, let alone one this good, but they have produced a real gem in this band. Draekon may be new on the scene, but they have a sound and energy that can put several veteran bands to shame.

There’s an interesting mix of sounds on Prelude to Tragedy. Above all, this is a progressive metal album, owing a great deal to the classic Fates Warning sound. It has a strong power metal vibe though, bringing to mind the darker tones and epic nature of bands like Evergrey, Kamelot and Symphony X. This helps keep the technicality – and there’s a fair amount of that – in check and provides an emotional resonance that helps connect the listener with the songs. Draekon delivers a nice mix of heaviness and melody, atmosphere and progression. The guitar work is impressive, as are the rhythms (there’s some really killer drumming here), and the keyboards help create an atmosphere that really matches the lyrical focus of the songs. The vocals are a key element as well. Chad Barnes has a very strong, very distinct, and very emotive voice that’s just perfect for this kind of music.

With just five songs, Prelude to Tragedy only gives us a brief taste of what Draekon has to offer, but those five songs are more than enough to showcase a band with a lot of potential. If you’re a fan of bands that walk the line between progressive and power metal, especially bands like Evergrey, Kamelot, Redemption, Suspyre and Symphony X, and are looking for something new, Draekon is a band that’s well worth checking out.

Genre: Progressive Metal, Power Metal

Band:
Erik Sturgell (b)
Stanford Stivers (d)
Joshua Simpson (g)
Alec Biccum (k)
Chad Barnes (v)

Track Listing:
1. The Value of All
2. Darkness Falls
3. The Division
4. Wails of Anguish
5. Where Silence Stills the Soul

Label: None

Website: www.reverbnation.com/draekon

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.75/10

Oceans of Night | Domain

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

Domain is the second album from Oceans of Night, and the latest in a series of collaborations between songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Scott Mosher and vocalist Scott Oliva. Under the Oceans of Night moniker, the duo delivers an interesting and effective mix of progressive metal and ambient sounds.

Progressive metal, by nature, tends to be somewhat cold and clinical, emphasizing precision and technicality above all else. With Domain, that technicality is balanced by a strong dose of ambient and atmospheric elements. The end result is a type of progressive metal that resonates more on an emotional level. Like Fates Warning with the atmosphere of a Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree album. Speaking of Fates Warning, Joey Vera mixed and mastered Domain.

Mosher – as usual – finds the right balance between technicality and accessibility with his musicianship, especially on guitar. There are some intricate and dazzling solos on Domain, but they’re always delivered in a greater melodic and atmospheric context. They’re strong enough that you take notice of them, but never so stark that you lose the overall ambient feel the greater song evokes. On the vocal side, Oliva seems to know just the level of power and emphasis that the songs need at any given moment, alternately reminiscent of Geoff Tate’s lower, crooning register and a more forceful Zak Stevens/Urban Breed style. Domain is an effective album on just about every level. The only downside is that the same ambient elements that allow the album to sink into your subconscious almost from the start also tend to lull you to sleep when the pace of the music slows for any length of time.

Oceans of Night has never been easy to pigeonhole into a neat genre identifier, and that’s a good thing. Domain checks all of the boxes of the progressive metal genre, but blurs the edges. It’s an album that will appeal to most progressive metal fans, especially those looking for something more than just another variation on the Dream Theater template.

Genre: Progressive Metal

Band:
Scott Mosher (g, b, k)
Scott Oliva (v)
Alan Smithee (d)

Track Listing:
1. Domain
2. Don’t Look To Me
3. Dreams in Artificial Sunlight
4. So Near Yet So Far
5. Divisions of Time
6. Seven Days of Rain
7. The View To You
8. Instruments of Fear
9. The Future Remembered
10. Ghosts of the Past

Label: Moribund Cult

Website: www.oceansofnight.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10

Royal Hunt | Show Me How To Live

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer –

While certainly not on par with the recently-announced Black Sabbath reunion, the news that vocalist DC Cooper had rejoined Royal Hunt definitely made waves in the melodic metal community. Cooper’s departure from the band he helped put on the map (and vice versa) wasn’t exactly amicable, and the idea of another Royal Hunt album with his instantly-recognizable vocals seemed like wishful thinking at best. And yet here we are, more than a decade after Cooper’s last album with the band, and the fences between him and keyboardist/songwriter/producer Andre Andersen have apparently been mended. Enough at least for a new studio album, the band’s eleventh, titled Show Me How To Live.

As good as the Royal Hunt albums with John West and Mark Boals were, it’s Cooper’s albums with the band – 1995’s Moving Target and 1997’s Paradox – that really define Royal Hunt’s sound. That means the band had a lot to live up to, and for the most part Show Me How To Live delivers. Not a concept album like Paradox, Show Me How To Live has the less progressive, less epic, song-based approach of Moving Target. This puts the album more into melodic rock territory than the progressive metal sound they’re best known for, but Royal Hunt does this kind of melodic metal really well. Andersen’s dominant keyboards provide most of the album’s melodic focus, and Cooper’s dynamic range and powerful voice – augmented by some very impressive backing vocals – covers the rest. There’s just something very satisfying and reassuring hearing Cooper’s voice over Andersen’s keys, and it helps that the songs are so solid. “Hard Rain’s Coming” is the album’s best song, rivaling anything Moving Target and Paradox had to offer, and the rest of Show Me How To Live – brief as it is – is quite strong. Mid-tempo songs like “Half Past Loneliness” and “Another Man Down” satisfy as much as the more epic 10-minute title track does.

Of course the down side of this very recognizable sound is that Show Me How To Live seems a bit too familiar at times. Andersen tends to stick with a formula that works, so there isn’t much in terms of real growth or creativity here. It’s a mix of what came before, almost to the point of borrowing melodies from Moving Target and Paradox. It also seems way too brief, with just seven songs spanning less than 45 minutes. We waited an awfully long time for this. It would have been nice to have a few more songs to sink our teeth into.

Those few minor gripes aside, Show Me How To Live is a damn fine album, and a worthy successor to Moving Target and Paradox. It’s as good, if not better than any of the previous Royal Hunt albums without Cooper, and is almost as good as anything Cooper has released since leaving the band (though it doesn’t touch Silent Force’s last album Walk the Earth). If you were a Royal Hunt fan back in the ‘90s, Show Me How To Live is a must-have album. It should also appeal to fans of the later Royal Hunt lineups, DC Cooper’s other projects and fans of high quality melodic metal in general. Hopefully this will not be the last time Cooper and Andersen join forces.

Genre: Melodic Metal, Neoclassical Metal, Progressive Metal

Band:
Andre Andersen (k)
DC Cooper (v)
Allan Sorensen (d)
Andreas Passmark (b)
Jonas Larsen (g)

Track Listing:
1. Intro/One More Day
2. Another Man Down
3. An Empty Shell
4. Hard Rain’s Coming
5. Half Past Loneliness
6. Show Me How To Live
7. Angel’s Gone

Label: Frontiers Records

Website: www.royalhunt.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.75/10

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