{"id":52887,"date":"2016-09-15T07:46:48","date_gmt":"2016-09-15T12:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=52887"},"modified":"2016-09-18T08:05:04","modified_gmt":"2016-09-18T13:05:04","slug":"srdjan-brankovics-expedition-delta-2-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2016\/srdjan-brankovics-expedition-delta-2-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Srdjan Brankovic\u2019s Expedition: Delta | 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Joe Mis<\/span>
\n– Sr. Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"4_Panel\"Despite a busy schedule with his Progressive Metal band AlogiA, guitarist and songwriter Srdjan Brankovic somehow found the time to front Srdjan Brankovic\u2019s Expedition: Delta, a \u201csupergroup\u201d that has recently released its second album entitled simply 2<\/em> \u2013 and it was worth the effort. Expedition: Delta has put together 11 tracks of solid music that span genres from Classically tinged instrumental Rock to AOR to Modern Progressive Metal \u2013 giving this talented guitarist a chance to stretch outside his comfort zone.<\/p>\n

For those not familiar with his music, Srdjan Brankovic is one of the founders and guitarists of AlogiA (arguably the best Progressive Metal band hailing from Serbia). He also works as a guitarist, songwriter, and producer for other Serbian bands such as Numenor, Despot, and Lunar Pocket. His contacts in the Serbian music scene allowed him to assemble the group now known as Expedition: Delta. The group has a huge cast list, but most vocals are sung by Nikola Mijic (AlogiA, Eden’s Curse) and Andjela Isic \u2013 although Srdjan himself fronts the band on one track.<\/p>\n

The upbeat and radio-friendly rocker \u201cSpectacular\u201d opens the release \u2013 a track with uplifting lyrics and some very neat guitar riffs and an intricate solo. \u201cBreak The Rules\u201d features a spectacular solo from guest guitarist Bobby Koelble (Death), and has a much heavier, progressive tone. Mijic\u2019s vocals are at their best on this track, and the interesting guitar lines and tempo changes make this tune quite enjoyable. \u201cThank You for The Good Times\u201d is a quick up-tempo pop-rock song that proves Brankovic\u2019s songwriting skills can extend far beyond the progressive metal genre. \u201cCanis Major\u201d is a short but beautiful classical piano piece that leads into the edgy AOR \u201cFly With Me.\u201d Despite being a more pop tune, the band weaves a number of Prog style keys and tempo changes into the music that nicely support the duet vocals provided by Mijic and Andjela Isic.<\/p>\n

Isic takes the vocal lead on the rocker \u201cWithout You,\u201d a track that features brief but impressive acoustic guitar work by Nicola di Gi\u00e0. A long instrumental opening sets the mood for Brankovic\u2019s lead vocals on \u201cThe One Who Lives A Dream\u201d. Srjdan does a decent job as a singer, but he wisely limited himself to a single track \u2013 as his talents on the guitar far outshine his vocal abilities. Hints of Dream Theater run through the very Progressive rocker \u201cHouse of God,\u201d a well-done song with strong guitars, while \u201cI Don\u2019t Believe\u201d is a straight-on rocker with great hooks and sing-along chorus. \u201cRemember Me\u201d is a simple and soft slow rocker that suits Isic\u2019s voice perfectly. \u201cConnected\u201d is a progressive metal instrumental showcasing the six-string talents of Bobby Koelble & Santiago Dobles (Aghora) \u2013 a nice way to end the album.<\/p>\n

Overall, Srjdan Brankovic\u2019s Expedition: Delta has created a lighthearted and upbeat release that blends many genres into a cohesive whole. Brankovic proves himself to be a complete musician and songwriter, displaying a wide variety of influences across a number of distinct styles. 2<\/em> is nicely arranged and recorded with a strong sense of emotional depth and warmth. Couple good production values with passionate performances and you get a very decent album \u2013 a friendly and fun listening experience.<\/p>\n

Srdjan Brankovic\u2019s Expedition: Delta\u2019s 2 is highly recommended listening for fans of Modern Melodic Metal and AOR Rock.<\/p>\n

Genre: Melodic Metal<\/p>\n

Band:
\nSrdjan Brankovic (guitars, bass, keyboards, lead vocals on \u201cThe One Who Lives A Dream\u201d)
\nNikola Mijic (vocals)
\nAndjela Isic (vocals)
\nMarko Milijevic (drums)
\nBobby Koelble (guitars)
\nSantiago Dobles (guitars)
\nIP Maesstro (bass)
\nNicola di Gi\u00e0 (acoustic guitars)
\nVladimir Djedovic (keyboards)
\nMladen Gosic (keyboards)
\nNevena Zivkovic (piano)<\/p>\n

Track Listing:
\n1.\tSpectacular
\n2.\tBreak The Rules (feat. Bobby Koelble)
\n3.\tThank You for The Good Times
\n4.\tCanis Major
\n5.\tFly With Me
\n6.\tWithout You (feat. Nicola di Gi\u00e0)
\n7.\tThe One Who Lives A Dream
\n8.\tHouse of God
\n9.\tDon\u2019t Believe
\n10.\tRemember Me
\n11.\tConnected (feat. Bobby Koelble & Santiago Dobles)<\/p>\n

Label: Perris Records<\/p>\n

Website: http:\/\/www.srdjanbrankovic.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 8\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Joe Mis – Sr. Columnist — Despite a busy schedule with his Progressive Metal band AlogiA, guitarist and songwriter Srdjan Brankovic somehow found the time to front Srdjan Brankovic\u2019s Expedition: Delta, a \u201csupergroup\u201d that […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":52888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13652],"tags":[12196,2317,12746,3439,981,12745,12744],"class_list":{"0":"post-52887","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcrvws2016","8":"tag-12196","9":"tag-cd-review","10":"tag-expedition-delta","11":"tag-melodic-metal","12":"tag-perris-records","13":"tag-srdjan-brankovic","14":"tag-srdjan-brankovics-expedition-delta"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}