REIN XEED - MAJESTIC

Rein Xeeds new album is entitled Majestic and that title fits perfectly. The previous material by Rein Xeed honestly didn’t do much for me; it felt a little too indulgent. The vocals were unbearably high and the songs seemed to focus more on speedy solos without a hooky melody to keep you interested in the song.

Majestic is Grand Epic Metal at its finest. There are melodies that flow and soar like eagles, with the superb guitar playing to accent the compositions. Tommy Johansson has crafted a well thought out release of metal gems. His pallet of musical colors is wide and expansive with an emphasis on broad swaths of rich vibrant tones and soothing nuances of fabulous subtlety.

Simple hooky chorus are not what you’ll find here, but arrangements that build on each other. The atmosphere is truly one of adventure amongst green mountains and rushing waters. With guitars that are distinctive but not used as a sledgehammer. The elements of melody brought to the forefront. The solos don’t fall into a ‘heard this before’ but are used to paint the tapestry of musical genius.

Clearly Rein Xeed with this their fourth release has stumbled upon or rather has crafted a sound that delivers the image they’ve crafted for themselves. Using stories to communicate to their audience suits this release just fine. According to the band bio “Big bombastic music with big lyrics with stories and legends that has been told for centuries with a heavenly hope.” I’d agree with that summation. My favourite song here is Never Lie, a wondrous composition with swirling elements of melody with the driving backbone of guitar and drums. The epic chorus’s and large production sound drive this amazing album.


The keyboard used is part of those subtle nuances that don’t over dominate or dictate how the songs are structured, but rather are used to fill in those background elements which add to the richness of the album. The rhythm section is stunning with solid drumming and bass playing with superior sound.

Perhaps the thing that stood out to me is that Johansson has controlled his vocal performance. Clearly he sings in the upper register but this time he doesn’t scrape the stratosphere as in the bonus track from 2007s The Light, When Will I Know I’m Free.

Majestic is melodic, epic, heavy power metal, with soaring vocals that complete a very mature album. This doesn’t sound like a band trying to be something that they’re not, or sound like a band trying to ‘find’ their sound. Rein Xeed have found their style, sound, calling and here’s to future music they’ll make.

Fans of 7Days, The Sacrificed should find this release appealing. It delivers on a grand scale musically; time will tell if Majestic will catch on in the metal community. However from where I sit there can be no mistake that Rein Xeed have offered up a very compelling album of classically influenced power metal that is the real thing. Here's to Liljegren Records and hoping to hear more releases from them! Miss it at your own risk.

8 axes

DARKWATER - WHERE STORIES END

Darkwaters latest release Where Stories End is a triumph. A progressive cavalcade of melodies and musical exploration Where Stories End soars with conviction and passion. The majority of material is delivered with authority and command while not neglecting subtly or nuances that endure the material to the listener.

One of the things I noticed immediately was the warmth of the sound. A fabulous sonic array of tones which hold true throughout, in comparison to their previous release on a production level Where Stories End is vastly superior. The drum sound is fuller and the guitars feel more rich and emotive, while the keyboards add the appropriate textures that define each song.

From the rich opening notes of Breathe to the epic feel of Into the Cold. Where Stories End is a natural progression from Darkwater’s previous material. Some may view ‘progression’ as a note of ‘change’ in a negative view that is not the case here. One of the things apparent to me here is that 90% of the album is comprised of songs in the 6-9 minute length, with the opener under 5 minutes. Whether or not that has any bearing on anything is left to the individual.

An audio meandering across the pallet of compositions will definitely provide you with a stellar feast of musical delight. In the Blink of an Eye, provides a driving rhythm that ventures into other musical territory as it weaves in and out the vocal melodies provided by Henrik Båth. Henriks vocal performance is wonderful as he delivers a mesmerising performance. The changing of time and rhythm occur throughout the song with a tasteful guitar solo. Dovetailing on this thought one must simply listen to Without a Sound, tremendous.

For me the highlight is the second song entitled Why I Bleed. Not just because it’s the longest song on the album, but the haunting melody and various changes just provide the musical punch to knock me out. Fields of Sorrow does the same which a slightly heavier vibe. In a live setting I’m sure DarkWater would be a knock out.

The only real aspect I cannot comment on is the lyrical content as the musical advances given by the promotion companies don’t include lyrics. This is too bad, because I’m aware that DarkWater has something good to say, but being unable to comment on it is a hindrance.

If you’ve listened to any of the online samples for this release and were happy with them you won’t be disappointed with this release. Stellar musicianship, but stellar songs make Where Stories End a must buy.

Emil at Ulterium has another great album on his hands. DarkWater will hopefully make some more headway in the scene with this release. They should because the high quality product given here is one of astonishingly smooth elegance. Prog fans should unite and make this album a top seller for 2010. A big thumbs up from here.


9 axes

EDGEND - A NEW IDENTITY

Slicing their way out of the Holy Land and into the world wide metal scene come Edgend, with their debut album A New Identity on Nightmare Records. The promo material indicates a prog metal sound more akin to Symphony X. That maybe true but to these ears I hear a lot of Dream Theater comparisons.

According to the band they they’ve attempted to incorporate classical elements into the music. Those influences are there as well as the effect of their Israeli culture. There is lots of melody and wonderful arranging. Dynamically this album is like a painting with darks, colors, splashes and the sublime. Metal from the land of Israel and it scores a touchdown with me.

Upon the first listen the layers of depth are very apparent, so really that first listen is more about becoming familiar with what is before you. A New Identity is accessible but one must first come to it with an empty pallet and be prepared to hear new pieces upon each listen. I’ve heard bands say “It takes some effort but once you ‘get it’ you’ll like it”, right, if it takes that much effort what’s the use. In the case of Edgend I found it exciting to discover the depths of the melodies and the arrangements. This is an album made for headphones in my opinion. Just so long as you have a long chord because your head is gonna start swayin' back in forth.

Comparisons to Symphony X should really be made in passing. Symphony X is about the speed and ‘noodle the oodle’ factor, nothing wrong with that, where the guitar is the main attraction. And with them that is the case. However Edgend uses the guitar as a part of a whole with keyboards adding many melodic overtones. Don’t misunderstand this disc is heavy; just listen to ‘The Pain’ for a prime example. They don’t rely on one instrument to carry the load.

From ‘The Internal Fire’ all the way to ‘Voices’ there is a lot of tasty progressive heavy metal. The songs themselves are haunting with great musicianship. Vocalist Rami Salmon is gritty and strong, in the same range as a Russell Allen but with more edge. Make no mistake this is a strong metal offering.

A New Identity brings progressive elements such as time changes and melodic interludes throughout. However what I see happen in many bands of this genre is that they become self indulgent ala Dream Theater. Nothing wrong with a little self indulgence, but Edgend seems to be able to keep such indulgences in check for the betterment of the song. There aren’t any 10 minute+ songs here. One song wings in slightly over 9, near closer ‘Balance’. Opening with a piano intro with a beautiful vocal part this song then starts its ascent into another powerful musical whirlwind.

Truly this being a debut effort there is much to applaud. The production is solid with even levels of all the instruments. David Ezuzs keyboards, piano are crucial to the elements of these songs. The sounds they achieved are like a fine dessert, very rich and deep. An amazing effort. Less you think that the guitars or bass guitars were unimportant which I’m sure none of you did, they are handled with skill and precision by Sharon Halachmi on the former and Ben Metal on the later. They shine throughout.

Listen to some of the sample tracks on their MySpace which will give you a feel for what is to come. Lyrically the band is extremely positive with songs of introspection and determination in this life. A New Identity has wonderful compositions throughout that bring out the air guitarist in me.

I’m hopeful of what the future will bring Edgend, they have the potential I think to a splash in a big way. If you enjoy prog metal with heavy melody than get this album immediately, don’t wait. Get one of the most intriguing releases in recent memory.

7 axes

ORPHAN PROJECT - SPOONING OUT THE SEA

This could be one of the greatest musical finds in 2009…. I’ve never heard Orphan Project before, but based on what I’m hearing this is simply fabulous progressive hard rock with smooth melodic overtones. Their bio lists Kansas, Yes, Dream Theater, U2 and Peter Gabriel as influences. I’m overwhelmed as I listen to this release. The quality of musicianship, the quality of songwriting and the quality of production flows together into a rich offering of musical excellence.

I understand Orphan Project has been around since 2001 and released their first album in 2003. I had heard of them but in name only so when James from Open Grave passed this release onto me I didn’t know what to expect.

Starting with ‘Reach’ Orphan Project show they mean business with a tightly constructed song that has many different elements melded together into one. Piano, keyboard, intricate drumming, driving bass, crunchy guitar and melodic vocal make this song an ethereal experience. ‘Angels Desire’ starts with heavy guitar parts and a more grove laden hook approach. ‘Fallen’ opens with some off time drums with a guitar and keyboard interplay that moves the listener into something of another musical realm. The piano touches add class and melody. A soaring vocal locks the melody into your brain that stays with you. Wow….

Some of the other major highlights are ‘To Me’ (scorching rock n roll, guitar solo heaven YEAH!!!), ‘Spooning Out The Sea,’ ‘Head On Your Platter,’ (very Kansas like that just ROCKS). You won’t find epic songs lengths here, but songs in the three to five minute range. What Orphan Project does in that time frame is wonderful. At times they remind me of prog-rockers Frost* in style. Yet Orphan Project doesn’t necessarily indulge in the long musical interplay that a lot of progressive bands do. I’ve heard many people complain of progressive rocks tendency to ‘noodle away’ on the guitar. That doesn’t occur on ‘Spooning Out The Sea.’

Lyrically I so appreciate the approach they’ve taken, an introspective approach on their Christian faith, but make no mistake you know what they’re singing about. Just read the lyrics to title song or perhaps ‘Head On Your Platter.’ These intelligent and creatively written words have and will continue to make an impact on the listener.

Shane Lankford provides the melodic voice that soars over the musical soiree. Tim Kehring offers up tasty drum patterns that are more than a standard 4/4 time. Bill Yost graces this release with some fantastic bass playing. John Neiswinger brings the keyboard sounds and does this nicely without excess. Finally, Shane McBride plays the guitars both rhythm and lead that really add that edge to this whole event.

Tim Kehring shows himself to be a very apt producer. The tonalities are spectacular and the mix is very even without things becoming overly compressed or compacted. The music is able to breathe and travel in an open architecture that fits so well.

James thanks buddy for passing this along. A truly great find that I appreciate so much, it fills a void in the prog area that this prog fan has missed. They’re not the next Rush, however I will spin this disc repeatedly and often.

9 axes


You can listen to one of the songs on 'Spooning Out The Sea' and listen to some interview clips. This is a clip I borrowed from YouTube, Anvil and The Hammer