GERMAN PASCUAL - A NEW BEGINNING

I’ve gotta tell you that German Pascual’s debut solo album A New Beginning is one of the biggest surprises of 2012. From high octane power metal to soaring melodic metal, A New Beginning not only wipes out any preconceived ideas I might’ve had but left me scrambling for the replay button.

Pascual as many of you might realize was the vocalist for Swedish metalers Narnia on their final album, Course of a Generation. He has also contributed to Divinefire on occasion as well. When I heard he was going to release a solo disc I really didn’t know what to expect, but I really didn’t think I was going to get this!!

A New Beginning is strong and powerful, with memorable melodies and the vocals of German Pascual, who has continued to show he is one of the finest vocalists in heavy metal. With tonality along the lines of Dio, Rob Rock and slight hints at David Coverdale. On the odd occasion there are a few deep growls on some of the heavier tracks such as Wrath of God.

The more I listen the more I’m drawn into this swirling amalgam of musical metal bliss. Tracks like Seek the Truth or Open Your Eyes go right on the melodic metal category, but imagine it kicked up one notch with more energy and power. Misty Eyes moves like a locomotive heading downhill, get out of the way or be run over. However the hook is so good, it digs in and remains with you long after the song comes to its completion.

Yet songs like Wrath of God or I Call for the One stride into more intense speed/power metal territory. Thrash type elements and even a hint at modern styling’s ala Divinefire. For the most part this album is a heavier version of the last Narnia album. There are even a touch here and there of some slight progressive elements. The arrangements are solid and even on the heavier songs the melody cuts through and grabs a hold. Just spin Fate of the Blind head banging all the way, with a great riff.

Rounding out Pascual's band is Guitarist Martin Hall, Pain of Salvation bassist Per Schleander and Almah bassist Raphael Dafras. The guitar work is top tier as are the rest of the instrumental performances. The production was handled by German Pascual & Raphael Dafras, with the Mixing and mastering handled by Thomas Plec Johansson. The sound is powerful and the guitar tones cut through without question.

I don’t want to build this album up too much, but I have been surprised and really enjoy this release. Especially when I had no preconceived ideas about it. Pascual has made a statement with this release; he’s a musical force to be reckoned with.

I normally don’t write reviews in the first person but this album has excited me so much, an album of the year candidate? A New Beginning is just that and be prepared for a journey into heavy metal bliss. 9 outta 10 axes from here and I’m cheering all the way!!

9 axes

TERAMAZE - ANHEDONIA

Something is brewing in Australia and its name is Teramaze and courtesy of Nightmare Records they have delivered a long awaited follow-up to their nearly forgotten releases of 1995 & 1997. A long and tumultuous journey it has been, but here is AnhedoniA. Part progressive; part thrash; part melodic; all heavy metal.

As I’ve been spinning this disc my thoughts have been how to describe it. The band themselves say they’ve been influenced by artists such as Dream Theater, Tool and Pantera; taken directly from their website. At times you’ll Dimebags rhythmic influence or the vocal inflection of Sebastian Bach. A few of those influences can be heard undoubtedly, but by no means expect to hear simple adulation to those bands.

With a crisp and tight guitar sound that is simply relentless and precise without being lost in a wash of noise Dean Wells guitar playing is the scalpel that pierces the heart. The combination with Matthew Dawson have provided riffs and solos that really are world class, which rest right across the drumming of the late Julian Percy and bass playing of Tijon Lolis. This solid foundation provides a base on which vocalist Brett Rerekura soars atop with smooth tones and powerful projection.

The songs are an amalgam of technical proficiency and heavy metal bombast. The melodies offered by Rerekura tie the tracks together, while adding an almost hypnotic atmosphere to the songs. Soaring with Acts of Reparation, plowing along through AnhedoniA or driving through Black Circles, these songs grab a hold and force you to simply engage. Where the Dead Grow offers another blending of power and subtlety, the melody is almost creamy.

Strong production elements offer crisp guitars, tight drums, rolling bass and soaring vocals. A world class production is placed high on the altar for your musical enjoyment. A lyric sheet would’ve been helpful to this reviewer, but alas I guess PR departments can’t think of everything. One particular item of note is that the CD release has a bonus track entitled Ever Enhancing II. Mysterious and hypnotic, it would be a crime to simply say this is just an acoustic song (which it is) but the added elements of strings and the arrangement is haunting.

AnhedoniA is an absolutely killer melodic progressive metal release. Heavy in its onslaught but full of subtlety, Teramaze have given us a brilliant metal release for 2012. Thank you Nightmare Records! Let’s hope it won’t take this long for a follow up. Big thumbs up from here!

9 axes

MYRATH - TALES OF THE SANDS

Tales of the Sands is the third release from progressive metal act Myrath. I was introduced to them early last year with their sophomore effort Desert Sands, a progressive metal album that caught me and a lot of other people by surprise. I’ve been waiting for this album for a while and I wondered would I have too high of expectations?

No need to fear as Myrath has really come into their own; this album is a tour de force of melodic progressive metal that pulls the listener into a journey of musical delight. Large patches of musical influences from distant lands are woven into this tapestry of sheer musical genius. Tales of the Sands has a strong influx of oriental textures which fill the landscapes throughout.

The songs are all a bit tighter on the length front with nothing clocking in over 6 minutes. Having said that, I find it makes this album more effective and more direct. The progressive time changes are woven seamlessly within some of the most beautiful melodies and arrangements I’ve heard this year.

Zaher Zorguatti provides yet another stellar vocal performance. Almost ethereal in its effect his voice soars throughout this release with ease working seamlessly with the other instruments delivering a tailor made bow which wraps this package. Malek ben Arbia’s guitar heroics which include songwriting not just soloing, is the stitching by which the songs derive their attack. Just check out Beyond the Stars for his most driving riff on this album!

Tales of the Sands is much like a fine painting which you must just sit and observe. The various brush strokes and textures each add another layer that can be dissected, viewed and enjoyed. The bass playing of Anis Jouini is again superior.

So how about some of the specific songs you ask? Well if you’ve caught a hold of the video to the song Merciless Times that is this release in a nutshell. The dreamy songwriting of Under Siege or Braving the Seas with its epic feel moves you to the title track which sounds like it’s sung in a language that is not English. Sour Sigh rocks the house down with it’s staccato like riff and flush oriental sounding keyboard treatments.

A rich and fluid release this album is with solid production and top drawer performances. Kevin Codfert returns as producer once again and again has done a wonderful job. The sound is flush but is able to breathe with each instrument assigned a specific part of the mix and within that part given complete freedom of movement.

Tales of the Sands should open the doors wide for Myrath as this release shows a band who has come into their own. Fans of metal in general should grab this album as it should cross many genre boundaries. I love this album and find its lyrical observations positive and refreshing. Lance Kings Nightmare Records has a major release here, grab this one or be left behind.

9 axes

PHONOMIK - SOUL CREEPER

Nightmare Records has delivered a unique piece of art to the masses. Soul Creeper is the title of the debut album by Phonomik. This quartet offers to us a mirror of human insight delving into psychology and human observation, at the same time blending a modern metal vibe with classic rock melody and harmony.

Nothing here explicitly tells the listener what it is that they’re about to undertake. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a nice album of metallic rock tunes; that shortsighted approach just won’t work here. I suppose if your approach to music is pure sex, drugs, and rock n roll you’ll avoid this disc, fine it’s your loss. However if you like a ‘thinking mans band’ do yourself a favor and check this out.

According to the press materials:

“Soul Creepers take exit point back to when Jesus hung on the cross but this history is about the thieves who hung beside Jesus and cried "if you are the Son of God SO get us down from here. Then Jesus died sped up to heaven but our dear friend of thieves joined the slip stream and was caught in the nothingness. Now he is a Soul Creeper who has to live by others souls, and is sentenced to a total of eternity. Refers to the ancient beast, that dwell deep inside the human soul or the whispers that take us to dark places.”

Lyrically there is much that is not explicit but is open for interpretation and that element of unknown adds to the mystery. Yet I do wonder why the band felt that adding several ‘f’ bombs in the first song was necessary. No profanity exists elsewhere; perhaps it was used for emotional impact.

Musically Phonomik is an amalgam of Disturbed style riffing with classic rock sensibility, courtesy of Kenneth (lead guitar) and Shane (vocals and guitar). The vocal performance by Shane is top notch with a unique vocal sound. He sings for the majority of the album and when he shifts his style he opts for a more rhythmic rapid fire delivery. Michael (bass) and Kruger (drums) provide a solid backbone for the melodic tapestry going on above.

“Caveman,” “Massacre,” and “Die Alone” are just a few of the highlights on Soul Creeper. I found for myself that when I received a lyric booklet I was able to follow along and get more drawn into the story/theme presented. Myself I have often enjoyed this type of production because it does demand more from the listener, yet with 9 of the 10 songs clocking in fewer than four and half minutes even the casual listener should find this collection accessible.



The production is of world class quality with the instruments and vocals achieving balance with each other. There is breathing room but it still attacks with determination and drive.


Soul Creeper is not just a collection of the usual suspects, but something a bit different that should find itself in most collections of those of discriminating taste of hard edged rock n roll. Phonomik has given us a superior album to digest and ponder, check this out for yourself

8 axes

CLOUDSCAPE - GLOBAL DRAMA

2008 saw the release of Cloudscape’s third album Global Drama. Take a combination of 80’s arena rock, heavy metal drama and elements of progressive bombast while supplying memorable melodies that engage the listener and force you to avoid the eject button on your CD player.

Imagine taking the vocals of 1980’s-90’s YES/Toto and slapping them with a progressive metal hard rock sound. That would give you an idea of what to expect from Swedish Prog metallers Cloudscape. Professional arranging and songwriting is the order of the day on their album Global Drama.

Recently I was given to opportunity to listen to a performance by the group YOSO, featuring members of Yes and Toto. That material is brilliant in its own right. Yet when I came back to Global Drama I couldn’t help but hear the similarities. First and foremost the songs on Global Drama have such delicious melodies that they taste like a fine wine. Compositions aged to perfection with just the right amount of texture and color. Both groups have such high caliber players, yet all of the playing is in deference to the betterment of the song. Both groups also have a rather unique sound that just adds to the mystique and class of both groups.

From the opening song ‘Mind Diary’ to closing melody of ‘Justice,’ Cloudscape leaves you desiring to retake this journey again. So many progressive metal acts get compared to Dream Theater and Symphony X it just gets numbing after awhile. Certainly there are moments where those comparisons might be accurate on this album. I’m uncomfortable with just leaving those comparisons there because Cloudscape at times go into a more melodic almost AOR direction, almost like Allen & Lande.

That more accessible sound also puts them in the company of say, modern Yes or 80’s Asia while bringing metal sounds and performance to the forefront. Both vocalist Mike Andersson and guitarist Bjorn Eliasson wave those influences proudly as they are layered through out Global Drama. They do it effectively and well.

The band themselves describe their music as “Melodic Metal with progressive touches” (Cloudscape MySpace). Their summation would seem to be pretty accurate to me. Just listening to tunes like ‘Alagoas,’ ‘Fragile,’ ‘Static’ stream to a more accessible area musically than say ‘Paid in Blood’ or ‘Mind Diary.’ ‘Alagoas’ is a personal favorite with its melodic chorus, but it really is the build up to that point. Soaring melodies with a hypnotic keyboard tapestry with decorating the landscape with the attack of a melodic guitar arrangement. Yet the aforementioned tracks ‘Mind Diary’ and ‘Paid in Blood’ show that Cloudscape can cut it lose and bring it home when they want to.

Global Drama is Cloudscapes third release and I would hope a fourth one will arrive soon. This album would fit quite nicely in any progressive metal fans collection, but it should have no trouble finding its way into fans of melodic hard rock/metal. A one trick pony this disc is not. Cloudscape has the chops for the long haul.

7 axes