IVANHOE

19/12/20 --> It would appear my initial 4 star rating back in May of this year was a bit of an over reaction. The pandemic and scarcity of quality released around the time made this record stand out more than it should have. It is still a fine record with all the strengths outlined below. It's just not 4 star material.

--- As the apex of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic seems to be behind us and we attempt, however feebly, to restore normalcy to our lives, a healthy dose of immediate and passionate old-school progressive heavy metal, the kind served up on this record, can really go a long way in setting the mood.

The music on Blood and Gold is driven forward by melodic guitar leads and Bruce Dickenson-like vocals backed by your usual arsenal of prog-metal keyboard synths and harmonies. While this description applies to literally hundreds of modern prog metal acts, Ivanhoe manages to set themselves apart through tight song writing. At a lean 38 minutes and 37 seconds, the record has no time for filler. Blood and Gold comes out swinging on the first four tracks and closes it out with elegance. Ivanhoe are confident enough in their sound that they don't feel the need to prove their prog chops with unnecessary meandering.

Ivanhoe have been around 80's. Ostensibly, their long career has not materialized much in the way of fame or wide-scale recognition, even by the modest standards set by progressive music. And yet their passion for music keeps them going. On Blood and Gold, we all get to enjoy that passion right along with them.

Third album issued in 1997 named Polarized is another worthy prog metal album of this discret band from Germany. While has is moments I thing is little less intresting then predecesor, who I considered their best effort from first era with Andy B. Franck. Typical teutonic prog metal with nice arrangements, all passages are well executed , everything is where it belongs, the only thing is that the melodic lines overall are not fantstic, only ok. Very good are the guitar parts, Achim Welsch really knowing to handle the instrumen, some examples are in Souls Of Fire, Wasted Time or When I'm Old . Also the voice of Andy is excellent for this type of music, sadly this is the last album with him on vocals, he will join another german band named Brainstorm where he done again a great job. All in all decent towards great in places pieces, but not really very inspired from start to finish. 3 stars, rounded to 3.5 here and there.

Ivanhoe. The very name sounds so medieval and, well, trite. This German band has been around since the 80s, but I'd honestly never heard anything from them until their new release, 'Systematrix'. One look at the creepy cover, and I had to hear this album.

So, Ivanhoe is basically just a progressive power metal band. Much like my recent review of Opposing Motion's latest, I can't get past the fact that I've heard all of this. However, Ivanhoe does have a step-up on Opposing Motion: I found 'Systematrix' to have a little more inventiveness to it. As a prog power metal band, Ivanhoe gives us the standard bellowing vox, the ridiculous guitars, the chest-beating drums, and the pulsating bass lines. That's pretty standard, and they don't really deviate from it.

Where Ivanhoe shines, however, is their song structures and riffs. Other power metal bands tend to contain little or no prog influence, but Ivanhoe displays their progressive banner with some stunning structural tricks. For instance, the multi-track song 'The Symbiotic Predator' contorts the norm into an awesome multi-genre affair. This song gives me hope for future Ivanhoe efforts. The band also plays with their riffs. I found some of the riffing to be very original and interesting: They never seem to settle for the normal grinding. Instead, we get riffs with extreme highs and lows.

This is a solid album. I do take issue with the vocals, as they are annoying. However, aside from that, this band has released a good album that power metal fans will really enjoy.

3.5 for sure

The second album rleased by german progressive metal Ivanhow is an underrated album from this field IMi in comparation with other works from that decade or period. Ivanhoe plays a great full of feel and techniques kind of prog metal , leaning in places towards neo prog, something like dutch Bagheera for ex, they are not overly metalized band like nowadays prog metal. The attraction is , they have a very solid musicianship + an excellent vocalist Andy B Franck, who is absolutly a killer voice for this kind of music. Pieces like Wide Open, Raining tears or Vibrations are suberb written nad has that catchy atmosphere that some bands had in mid '90's in prog metal, without copying Dream Theater at all. They had a sound of their own who is very german in aproach. A great album amed Symbols of time issued in 1995 and I guess among their best albums if not the main one from their catalogue. The vocalist was invited some years after this release , exactly in 2000 to joyn the power metal band Brainstorm from Germany where he made some fantastic prestation in vocal department, very strong voice powerfull and very distinctive in tone. So, this album Symbols of time is a fairly good album that desearves 3 stars, in places more like 3.5, some passages are fantastic where the keybords realy shines and not to mention the guitar. Great band and yet very unnoticed in prog metal circles.

This album is a great moment for IVANHOE,in my opinion their best effort,especially because of one fantastic vocalist called ANDY B FRANCK!He is absolutelly brilliant,unfortunatelly this is his last album with IVANHOE,after album he formed SYMPHORCE in a more metallic veine and gives also his services on BRAINSTORM German band cd's too!The production of this album is one of the best I' ve ever heard,it's simply exceptional with perfect mettalic sound for guitars and excellent production work for keyboards !!But,FRANK explodes at maximum with a wonderful strong and powerful voice on the muscled tracks where he is smashing and also Franck's voice can be so soft and nice on emotional songs where he gives a dramatic performance-this is what I call a gifted and talented vocalist !On HOLLOW,the voice had some unbelieveble melodic inflections,superbe and dramatic!WHEN I'M OLD is one of the best prog metal ballad thet I know,a majestic ballad where the listener is transported in a very emotional mood,because the dramatic,passionated and intense vocals are touching the sensitivity and feeling at 200 %!Simply one of the most wonderful progressive power ballads ever made,a song of a huge quality!I don't know how pupular is this album among the prog comunity,but seing the fact that POLARIZED has only so few reviews I realise it's not so well known!It's a shame ,it's a pity,this album is definitelly a pearl in prog metal!I adore this album and each time when I made an audition and WHEN I'M OLD is caressing my ears I am in a melancholic and nostalgic mood!This is the goal of music-to touch the listeners's heart and to move a little his feelings!IVANHOE are continuing even today with quelity albums,but this one is the highlight in their career so far!Trully inspired and beautiful! 4,5 STARS for a moment of magic for IVANHOE!

This is my first review, and only because i felt this album deserves at least one decent review!

This is as i categorize traditional melodic heavy metal with progressive influences. This is much like Dreamtheater, but not as dull as they are on almost every album. These guys are innovative and they do not fear sounding queer, much like Queensryche on their first albums, but much more refined. And they do not sacrifice the joy and the flow of music in the altar of progressiveness like many prog bands are forced to do as they do not have any ideas genuinly new anymore.

I tend to judge the music by "feel". It is a very amateur way to judge, but that that´s all i want from my music, the feeling. It is important to master ones instruments but if the soul is missing, the skill does not take you anywhere. The queerness without any connection to reality is in vain. That is why i quite like this album. It has the traditional values of touching music but with if not a totally new touch but at least a sophisticated version of personality to it.

I tend to listen way too hefty music at times, fusion, death metal, classical etc. And this album is a welcomed salvation to my strained hear. It is easily accessible but still so very rewarding, so easy to fade into.

This is not the innovation of the century, but it is something that the great Dreamtheater haven´t done for a while; This is progressive and melodic, enjoyable metal done with the devotion required to make it really work.

If any complaints required, there is a song that is faded out on this record, which is a crime against music if you ask me. Otherwise musicianship, vocals and production are of a high level.

After the previous masterpiece Walk in Mindfields (2005) Ivanhoe's 2008 release Lifeline features them once more with feeling. Being the tremendous gemstone that Walk in Mindfields is, Ivanhoe have removed quite a few cuts from their design template and have created a more rounded experience with more half-ballads and less straight neckbreakers. Nevertheless it creates much needed open space for the musicians who are free to explore other pastures of progressive music.

The album has a rocky start with Lifeline being maybe the weakest number of them all and it needs a few hearing sessions until one can hum along easily even without the music playing. This goes on until the listener stumbles over the awe inspiring 'Angel's Hologram', a masterpiece of a ballad. Vocalist Mischa Mang wrings himself out to the last drop for this song. Earcandy. Noteworthy: after Angel's Hologram you're truly reminded of the days where you did have to turn the disc because the second part of Lifeline returns us to the pastures of progressive metal even though the pendulum never swings into the degrees of raw display of power that Walk in Mindfields displayed. 'Time Machine' picks up the pace a bit, 'You'll Burn' broods in darkness and finally 'Cheops' crowns the record in symphonic virtuosity.

Good record - very good record. I expected Walk in Mindfields Part 2 though. 4 stars, 8/10

Walk in Mindfields opens up with an explosion, an eruption of a riff - the title track leaves no doubt of what is to come for the listener: straight progressive metal. In their early days Ivanhoe had to bear the cross of being labled - even cherished and praised- by the german music press as the teutonic answer to Dream Theater. In a way they have embodied this creed but only as far as the early Dream Theater.

Being a 2005 release Walk in Mindfields is to be considered harder and more straightforward than anything Dream Theater has released since Images and Words. And to further the mismatch - neither of Ivanhoe's musicians is a Petrucci, Portnoy, Myung or Rudess. What Ivanhoe is, is a band that manages to sound heavy and tight and whose members - supported by the excellent production of the record - can shine as gifted musicians when performing together. Hovering all above the guitar and keyboard work driven forward by a pumping bass and crystal clear sounding drums is Mischa Mang's voice. Described by Bandleader/Leadguitarist/Producer Achim Welsch as guttural voice full of divine pain and demonic power, Mischa can best be compared to Kamelot's Roy Khan in timbre and vocal range. Being an accomplished musical singer he manages more than a cheesy ballad approach and drives his vocal cords through their range remorselessly.

Ivanhoe spend 3 years writing this record and it's easy to see why. Here no extra long soli improvisations are requited to drive the message home. It is delivered by intricate songwriting and intense musicmanship. Five Stars, 10/10

I don't know if you are aware of ELEGY, but IVANHOE sound a lot like ELEGY in their first two albums ''Labyribth of dreams'' and ''Supremacy''...and I'm fond of that style of music...Carefully arranged heavy/power/progressive metal in equal doses with high voltage vocals by Andy Franck...not the best vocalist I've ever heard but he is ok for that kind of job...Highlights of the album are ''Deeper ground'', an excellent track that identifies the power/prog metal term (very close to the style of CONCEPTION) and the beautiful ballad ''Eternal light''...Fans of early ELEGY as well as fans of power/prog in general will have a very good time with this album...7/10 for me...

I started quite some reviews with: about 10 years ago I bought this CD and it wasn't what I hoped for. When I played them again recently most of the times it still wasn't much different. But with this CD by Ivanhoe there's a slight change of opinion. I also bought this 10 years ago, hardly played it since, did so recently and guess what: I have to revise it somewhat because it's not so bad really. I think what put me off in the beginning was the voice of the leadsinger and actually, it still does but I must say the rest of the performance is not bad at all. It's not that I wax lyrical all over sudden about this but I have to be honest: Ivanhoe plays some nice progmetal here. Especially the last two songs are quite good. I give them 3 stars.