GAIA'S LEGACY

After some years break, these Italians is back with their new opus. This time with a concept album.

Eldritch is veterans in the progressive metal scene. Their brand of progressive metal is based on super fast melodic guitar solos, mid tempo songs, plenty of bass and drums in the bottom of the mix which makes walls and floor vibrate like if in a middle of an earthquake, a couple of ballads, great vocals and minimal use of keyboards. The original progressive metal sound, in other words.

Gaia's Legacy is about Hurricane Katrine and how that destroyed New Orleans, Louisianna and the most poorest districts of Missouri in USA. It is about the environmental disaster we are facing, according to this band. The lyrics is telling us to stop raping this planet.

The music is plenty electric with lots of electric guitars and electric keyboards. There are plenty of guitar solos here. There is also a lot of good melodies too. My gripe is that there is no great songs here. I suspect the fans of this band gets what they want and more. And that is what it is all about. Keeping the fans happy and perhaps getting some more too. Which they may get with this album. This album is worth checking out if you are into progressive metal.

3 stars

'Gaia's Legacy' is the new album of Italian prog metal band Eldritch, released after four years of its predecessor. This one is actually a concept album, with a story and songs related to each other, so once you listen to the first track, you must listen to the rest of the songs, otherwise you may lose what it wants to share. The album is composed by twelve tracks, which make a total time of 60 minutes.

It starts with 'Gaia's Anger' which is just a one-minute introductory track, with spoken word and then synthesizers that open the gates to guitars and drums. It leads to 'Deviation', which has that evident metal sound, the rhythm is fast, and the power is inherent in its sound. Heavy guitars, symphonic-metal keyboards and a nice voice that may remind you to some older acts. Three minutes later you will listen to the almost mandatory guitar riff, that these type of metal bands use to do.

In 'Our Land' you will listen to the same radio-spoken voice that in the first track, but after a few seconds the song explodes, becomes faster and faster, adventurous and with a cardiac rhythm. The technical and compositional skills of the members are evident here, they are of course a trained and talented band. 'Vortex of Disaster' has a nice but tense atmospheric background, while the guitar, bass and drums put that heavy sound and feeling. The structure of the song is repeated twice in the first three minutes, then a guitar solo appears and the sound changes a little bit.

'Mother Earth' has a much softer sound, calm and even charming. The song has an emotive sound, in moments catchy, and seems not that closer to progressive rock at first, but give it a chance, in its second half it adds some riffs and interesting instrumental passages. 'Everything's Burning' starts with the omniscient spoken voice, but the rhythm is much heavier and faster than the previous track.

'Tonight Out' starts carefully, but all of a sudden it explodes and that sound full of energy appears. By this track, and if you are not a true metal fan (like me), you may start feeling a bit bored, but in the other hand, if you really like this genre, by this time you will be excited and enjoying it. 'Like A Child' has a nice guitar beginning, and then the song gradually progresses, little by little the structure is being built, with its changes and highs and lows.

'Signs' starts with only the voice speaking, then some applause, and so the music begins with a powerful impact, worth of a metal oriented band. The problem I have is that in moments I feel it pretty catchy, more oriented to hard-core or another recent subgenre (pardon my metal ignorance) but sometimes I believe it can be listened by a simple teenager. But well, the song itself is nice, with cool changes and nice structure.

'Thoughts of Grey' is one of my favorite songs, I like the soft piano implemented as background, it puts different colors, and gives diversity to the sound. The guitars, bass and drums are always good, and the voice maintains a great quality, though I have to admit it is not my complete cup of tea. Later the solos appear, you know. 'Thirst in our Hands (Gaia's Lament)' starts with a delicate piano sound, then it fades out and the voice appears in a softer way, with some distortion on it, then piano returns and vocals work together with it, now with a clean sound. Little by little guitars and keyboards join. This is a different track, and very healthy for the album. Finally 'Through Different Eyes', which start with a not so loud guitar riff, and later the metal sound starts and exemplifies the Eldritch style.

Nice album, honestly not my favorite metal release of the year, but as I mentioned above, if you are into this genre, then you will surely like it. My final grade will be three stars.

Enjoy it!

Eldritch's 'Gaia's Legacy' is a prog metal concept album performed with precision metal riffing and keyboard finesse by a quintet from Italy. They have a sound akin to Helloween or Symphony X, driven by the high register clear vocals of Terence Holler. The musicianship consists of Eugene Simone on lead and rhythm guitars, Gabriele Caselli's keyboards, Rudj Ginanneschi's guitars, and the rhythm is maintained by John Crystal's bass, and Raffahell Dridge's drums. 'Gaia's Legacy' is the 8th album for Eldritch and it is a high powered metal sound with the symphonic touch of keyboard soloing similar to Dream Theater's Rudess. It begins with 'Gaia's Anger', an atmospheric wind howls, we hear a news broadcast that Hurrican Katrina slammed into New Orleans and then we are on our way with the technical hurricane riffing of 'Deviation' that shows the power metal style of the band. Holler's vocals especially maintain a strong melody, so well performed. The track has a speed metal tempo, juxtaposed by a plethora of passages where lightning fast keyboard runs and manic riffing are unleashed. 'Our Land' is a fast and furious track with Caselli's extended keyboard solo, along with some blistering lead guitar work from Ginanneschi.

The first outstanding track, as far as a highlight on the album, comes with the breakneck hyper riffing of 'Vortex Of Disaster'. The angular riff is Slayer like and melts into the background when Holler sings of chemical disaster, and human extinction at the hands of governmental control, the themes of the album; 'in the skies now we can see chemical reaction that will change our lives, a vortex of disaster should make us think'. The lead break has a fret melting arpeggio run and then the riff settles into a fractured time sig as keyboard runs in an urgent chord structure.

'Mother Earth' continues the theme that it is maybe too late to change the looming disaster, even including some dialogue that we cannot do anything about it. The lyrics search for an answer that 'we all should give a hand and join up our forces, and try to give a future for whoever will come after us'. This track has a measured tempo and as a result is a lot more melancholy. There is a complex chord change that misses a beat very effectively, and the lead break is again a searing display of lightning fast fret work, and the twin guitars of Simone and Ginanneschi are reminiscent of Iron Maiden.

'Everything's Burning' has a Slayeresque machine gun riff that attacks in a choppy time sig. Holler takes on a heavier more aggressive mood as he sings of the planet burning to ash; 'the ozone hole is growing wide permitting rays of light and heat to come to the ground.' The song mentions that greenhouse gasses will destroy the environment, and questions are asked 'how long shall we take this, what's wrong, what is the reason, how long will the sun burn, everythings burning in the air, all our hopes are burning with the sun.' The instrumental section has incredible riffing and speedy lead work along with high pitched trilling and string breaking bends. There are also fast keyboard runs, in this powerful song.

'Tonight Out' is driven by an odd time sig with complex chunky riffs. The theme of a doomed planet continues; 'cracks on the ground are open wide while the heat is rising', and 'the fossil fuel keeps on burning dry, clouds are changing density, its no longer raining'. It is a heavy handed message and is given power with the incessant thrashing of guitars.

'Like A Child' is another fast paced belter, with consistent power metal riffing, and a solid melodic structure. There are a plethora of lead solos and blazing keyboards. The thrash metal style will appeal to those into fast speed metal bands such as Testament, Kreator, vintage Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Tourniquet. 'Signs' is a 6 minute track that begins with political spoken word, an intriguing slice of dialogue followed by applause. This sets the scene and then mega heavy riffs dominate. The song slows the pace down a bit, but the distorted riffs are prominent. Later the riff changes sig with a complex technical rhythm to allow keys to chime over. Small outbursts of lead guitar flood through, and then the bass solo of Crystal along with the syncopated percussion of Dridge paints a new landscape.

'Thoughts Of Grey' opens with spoken word about how it is human nature to not see that a day of reckoning is coming where we will be able to connect the dots to unravel the puzzle of how we are destroying our planet. The steady paced metal on this sounds similar to Helloween's 'Keeper of the Seven Keys.' It moves into a broken tempo as a foundation for lead guitar hammer ons and keyboard trade offs. The lyrics are poignant; 'While the warm wind blows and the skies are seeming to fall down on me, everything is changing comprising my soul, my thoughts are clear.'

'Thirst In Our Hands (Gaia's Lament)' is blessed with a classical piano solo, then a slow spacey synth tempo is heard as very gentle vocals come in asking, 'how do you feel now, let's save a diamond keep it for the thirsty land to build a bottlewater well.' The theme here is that the distribution of wealth is controlled, and not equal therefore we should join our hearts and hands to help the suffering. I have to admire the sincere passion infused in this album to try to change the world on this slow ballad, and there is a soaring lead break from both guitarists and some glorious Mellotron strings. It really is a beautiful song, with an infectious melodic chorus.

'Through Different Eyes' is the album closer, and the metal riffs return with sporadic axe blasts. This has a more traditional metal feel rather than speed metal; the album has definitely become more melancholy after the intense start. The lyrics are again suggesting how we may change our perspective or worldview; 'through different eyes we keep looking for what we lack, changing minds take us away and you can't go back, to different times our ageless eyes free from sorrow, changing eyes will hold the past from tomorrow'. This catchy chorus is reminiscent of Metallica especially in the way it is delivered.

The album is based heavily on the concept of saving the planet from environmental disaster quite obviously and it works as the musicianship is aggressive enough, and the lyrics sufficiently potent for a listener to take it seriously. Although Eldritch's lyrics are preachy in terms of demanding action for the environmental changes that will proposedly doom Earth, it is a thought provoking concept that gives the listener something definite to latch onto. The metal is constant on the album, with some killer riffing and awesome guitar and keyboard solos. The vocals are endearing, never overdoing it with snarling or growling which gives this album more power. I recommend 'Gaia's Legacy' to fans of thrash or speed metal with progressive complexity.