At Vance Decade
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
Decade is an appropriate title for the first “best of” collection from German melodic power metal band At Vance. They released their first album – No Escape – in 1999 and just issued their eighth studio album – Ride the Sky – last year. Decade captures the highlights of the band’s eight studio albums, including their famed metal renditions of key classical works, plus several covers and other bonus tracks that were previously exclusive to the Japanese market in a jam-packed 2-disc set.
Decade does a good job capturing the essential At Vance sound, which is power metal with plenty of melody and founding guitarist Olaf Lenk’s tendency towards Malmsteen-style neoclassical guitar theatrics. Decade also excels at capturing At Vance’s sound throughout the various lineup changes. You get songs featuring original vocalist Oliver Hartmann (Empty Tremor), Mats Leven (Therion) and current vicalist Rick Altzi (Thunderstone). It’s interesting to see the progression the band has gone through over the past decade. They’re writing their strongest material later in their career, but vocally it’s tough to match the polish and sheer emotion of the early days with Hartmann.
Decade has a wealth of power metal anthems, soaring ballads, a host of unexpected covers (including songs by Survivor, Tears for Fears and no less than three Abba songs), and of course Lenk’s blistering takes on Bach, Beethoven and Vivaldi. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, Decade is the perfect introduction to At Vance’s brand of power metal. It’s also ideal for those who like the band but don’t feel compelled to buy all of their studio albums (though after hearing how good these songs are you may feel compelled to do just that). There are also enough rarities to make Decade a worthwhile purchase for long time At Vance fans.
Genre: Power Metal
Track Listing:
Disc 1
1. Only Human
2. Take Me Away
3. Take My Pain
4. Heaven
5. Chained
6. Broken Vow
7. The Evil in You
8. Fallen Angel
9. The Curtain Will Fall
10. Dragonchaser
11. Shiver
12. Cold As Ice
13. Flying High (remastered)
14. Princess of the Night
15. Heart of Steel
16. Ride the Sky
Disc 2
1. Broken Vow (live)
2. Heroes of Honour
3. Logical Song (Supertramp cover)
4. Shout (Tears for Fears cover)
5. Highway Star (Deep Purple cover)
6. The Winner Takes It All (Abba cover)
7. Money Money (Abba cover)
8. S.O.S. (Abba cover)
9. Gloomy Monday
10. Wannabe
11. Eye of the Tiger (Survivor cover)
12. Desperado (Eagles cover)
13. Vivaldi/Spring
14. Vivaldi/Summer
15. Solfiegetto
16. Beethoven 5th Symphony
17. Flight of the Bumblebee
18. Caprice No. 16
19. Bach Invention No. 13
20. Cello Prelude G-Minor
21. Chopin Etude No. 4
Label: AFM
Website: www.at-vance.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10