| The Undiscovered Country Cyclonus After taking a good bit of time to get a feel for this disc, I have come to the conclusion that Mike Campbell is right; this is one of the strongest releases of the year. It definitely isn't something that most people will get into completely on first listen..... but after several listens, it really starts to explode in your ears. Unlike bands with a more classic power Metal sound, this disc has the much more "multi-layered" sound that Metal bands with a "dark" feel tend to have. Not the most immediately catchy melodies or riffs, but everything about this disc screams quality. The production is very good.... everything is clear and crisp, and none of the instruments are too high or low in the mix. The guitars and bass play expertly off each other, and the drumming is very solid. The vocalist, while sort of hard to describe, fits the sound of the band very well too. I suppose the best way to describe him would be as a classic Metal vocalist. There is no one who I know of who he sounds that much like, but the two closest approximations I can think of at the moment are Russell Allen of Symphony X and Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear (formerly of Gamma Ray). As an added bonus, I think this singer, Zenny Gram, would also get the Larry D seal of approval :-) . Also, another thing that I think is cool was Stefan's recent announcement that they have now added a second guitarist..... I think more guitar harmonies would work even more in favor of the band's sound. All in all, I'd have to say that this is one of those bands, kind of like Symphony X and Stratovarius, that fall right on the line between prog and power; however, they don't sound like either Symphony X or Stratovarius.... their sound is highly unique (personally, I'm not one who cares if a band is very unique or not, but for those of you to whom this is important, this should be a plus...). Essentially, if you're looking for an all-out speed fest, or an all-out
anything fest, this isn't the disc. This is more for when you're in a
thoughtful mood, and want to hear some intricately textured prog/power
brilliance. |
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