Dreamlost Psychomedia
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
2009’s Psychomedia is the second offering from French progressive metal band Dreamlost. France isn’t exactly a hotbed of heavy metal, but in recent years there have been a few notable acts. Looking to put France back on the metal map, Dreamlost plays progressive metal in the classic Dream Theater and Fates Warning style. There are no nods to power metal, no death growls, no folk elements; this is the kind of keyboard-heavy prog metal that you just don’t hear a lot of these days.
With a sound that also recalls Dreamscape, Threshold and to some extent Redemption, Dreamlost displays a high level of technical proficiency, particularly in the keyboard area. The precision guitar work of Joel Seque and Arnauld Grandin (who is also lead vocalist) is impressive as well. Of course, the downside of focusing on the technical aspects of the music means that the “metal” in progressive metal is often overlooked. There isn’t much heaviness here, which is a shame because with some added power Psychomedia could have been that much more effective. Grandin’s vocals are solid, though he doesn’t stray too far from the mid-range. For the most part that’s fine, as growls or high-pitched wailing just wouldn’t fit these songs, but there are times when a more powerful, more dynamic delivery would have made a big difference.
Oddly enough, the most memorable songs on Psychomedia are the instrumental tracks ”Echoes” and “Garden of Shadows.” That may be due to their resemblance to the classic Awake-era Kevin Moore Dream Theater compositions. The songs that immediately follow these instrumentals – “Careless Politics” and the title track, respectively – stand out as well, since the instrumentals flow into them seamlessly for larger “suite”-like sets.
Though not without some flaws, Psychomedia is still a very enjoyable progressive metal album from a band with a good deal of potential. With a bit more power to accent their considerable technical skills, Dreamlost could become a larger player in the progressive metal scene. Progressive metal fans that miss the halcyon days of 1999-2001 should get the most out of Psychomedia, but Dreamlost should still appeal to fans of progressive metal in general. They’re definitely a band that bears watching.
Genre: Progressive Metal
Band:
Arnauld Grandin (v) (g)
David Chapelle (d)
Laurent Rispoli (b)
Joel Seque (g) (v)
Alexandra Bruzzo (k) (v)
Track Listing:
1. Unbreathable
2. Echoes
3. Careless Politics
4. Familiar
5. Resilience
6. E-Life
7. Not Dead Yet
8. Garden of Shadows
9. Psychomedia
10. Solitude
Label: Brennus
Website: www.dreamlost.net
Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10