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REDEMPTION

Progressive Metal • United States


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Redemption biography
Founded in Los Angeles, USA in 2001

REDEMPTION is an American progressive metal band comprising former members of FATES WARNING and PRYMARY. Early incarnations of the group featured members of SYMPHONY X and STEEL PROPHET. Led by guitarist Nick van Dyk, the band originally featured Rick Mythiasin on vocals, Bernie Versailles on guitar, and Jason Rullo on drums, with Michael Romero providing symphonic arrangements. Mythiasin left in 2003, and Corey Brown of MAGNITUDE 9 stepped in and performed live with the band, but Ray Alder of FATES WARNING, who had sung on one track on Redemption's self-titled debut, agreed to join as REDEMPTION'S full-time vocalist, beginning with 2005's "The Fullness of Time". Although highly original, fans of FATES WARNING, ARK, ANDROMEDA & DREAM THEATER will enjoy what they hear.

Although I've only heard one of their albums, "The Fullness of Time", I encourage prog metal fans to check it out, as it's my favourite release of 2005.
Highly recommended.

See also: WiKi

REDEMPTION Videos (YouTube and more)


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REDEMPTION discography


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REDEMPTION top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.27 | 88 ratings
Redemption
2003
4.15 | 328 ratings
The Fullness of Time
2005
4.07 | 222 ratings
The Origins of Ruin
2007
3.97 | 218 ratings
Snowfall on Judgment Day
2009
3.33 | 100 ratings
This Mortal Coil
2011
3.77 | 104 ratings
The Art of Loss
2016
3.87 | 53 ratings
Long Night's Journey into Day
2018
3.79 | 29 ratings
I Am the Storm
2023

REDEMPTION Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.84 | 10 ratings
Live from the Pit
2014

REDEMPTION Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.24 | 27 ratings
Frozen in the Moment - Live in Atlanta
2009
4.00 | 1 ratings
Alive in Color
2020

REDEMPTION Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

REDEMPTION Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

REDEMPTION Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 I Am the Storm by REDEMPTION album cover Studio Album, 2023
3.79 | 29 ratings

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I Am the Storm
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by lukretio

4 stars As a huge Evergrey fan, I was very intrigued by the announcement made in 2017 by US progressive metal band Redemption that they would be replacing their longstanding vocalist Ray Alder (Fates Warning) with the mastermind behind Swedish power/prog titans Evergrey, Tom Englund. However, when their first album together, Long Night's Journey into Day, was released in 2018, it didn't quite meet my (admittedly high) expectations. I felt that the band played it too safe and didn't fully take advantage of Englund's incredible voice. Now, fast forward to 2023, and Redemption has returned with a new album, once again featuring Englund on vocals. I Am the Storm, the band's eighth studio album, is released on March 17th via AFM Records, and it has completely pulverized all of my previous concerns and reservations about their previous LP.

I Am the Storm is one of the best "traditional progressive metal" albums I have listened in quite a while. When I say "traditional progressive metal", I mean that Redemption's sound has remained largely unaffected by the post-metal/pop/djent contaminations that many contemporary prog metal acts have embraced in recent years. Instead, this album stays true to the US prog metal sound that was established in the late 90s and early 00s by bands such as Dream Theater, Fates Warning and Symphony X. The guitars play a central role in the sound design, with an onslaught of riffs and melodic leads. The busy rhythm section is powerful, with thunderous beats, while the keyboards are used in moderation to add color and texture to the dense metallic soundscape. Meanwhile, Englund's vocals are skillfully woven in and out of these textures, allowing ample space for lengthy instrumental sections.

This is not to say, however, that there aren't modern contaminations and exciting sonic experiments present. In fact, Redemption incorporate a diverse set of influences into their sound, including ferocious thrash metal, classic progressive rock (as evidenced by the Genesis/Peter Gabriel covers included on the LP), and more modern, post-rock-influenced atmospheric soundscapes ("The Emotional Depiction Of Light"). The end result is an album that manages to feel fresh and varied, while at the same time retaining a clear and distinctive sonic identity.

With I Am the Storm there is a clear sense that Redemption took risks in their songwriting that ultimately paid off in a big way. The different influences that have shaped Redemption's sound over the years have been taken to new extremes on this album. The heavy tracks ("I Am the Storm", "Resilience") hit unashamedly hard and approach a degree of metallic ferocity that would not be out of place on a Nevermore album. On the other hand, "The Emotional Depiction Of Light" lies at the opposite end of the spectrum, with its delicate interplay between Englund's voice and Vikram Shankar's piano, building to a beautiful cathartic crescendo that tugs at the heartstrings in a way reminiscent of Anathema or Silent Skies (Englund and Shankar's recent atmospheric metal project). Between these extremes, I Am the Storm offers a plethora of sublime progressive pieces. "Remember the Dawn", "Action At A Distance" and "All This Time (And Not Enough)" are longer pieces with complex structures, plenty of virtuoso playing, and subtle references to the classic progressive rock sound, reminding me of a slightly heavier version of bands like Spock's Beard or Enchant.

The names mentioned in the previous paragraphs indicate that the album covers a lot of ground. Yet, it does so with finesse and sophistication, allowing for smooth and natural transitions between the different styles. I also feel that with the new material, Redemption have finally discovered how to unlock Englund's full potential. His performance on I Am the Storm is undoubtedly his best in a while. Although I adore Englund's distinctive and poignant voice, it's difficult to ignore the fact that in his recent work with Evergrey he has stuck to a pattern of similar melodies and cadences that may comfortably suit his voice, but can also make the songs feel monotonous. On I Am the Storm Nick Van Dyk's diverse songwriting challenges Englund to step out of his comfort zone and experiment with his voice, sometimes with more aggression and other times with more melody. This is similar to the approach taken on Evergrey's early and highly progressive LPs, where Englund first established himself as one of the finest singers in the genre. It's a joy to rediscover his versatility and tremendous class on this new record.

The rest of the band also delivers incredible performances, with Van Dyk's showcasing his terrific guitar skills, ranging from heavy and aggressive to sublimely melodic. Shankar adds beautiful synth textures, while Chris Quirarte on drums and Sean Andrews on bass provide a solid and ultra-heavy rhythmic backbone. Special recognition also goes to Simone Mularoni (DGM) for his jaw-dropping and exquisitely well-constructed solos. His mixing and mastering jobs are also commendable, although the guitars may be slightly too prominent in the mix and the drums may be too busy, taking away some nuance from the other instruments.

In the end, however, the standout feature of I Am the Storm is the incredible quality of its songwriting. In contrast to Redemption's previous LP Long Night's Journey into Day, there are no filler tracks on this album. Each song delivers some of the finest progressive metal you're likely to hear this year: technically intricate and fiercely heavy, but always exquisitely melodic. Prog metal fans should not overlook this album: I Am the Storm is Album of the Year material, and Redemption's greatest artistic achievement yet.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

 I Am the Storm by REDEMPTION album cover Studio Album, 2023
3.79 | 29 ratings

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I Am the Storm
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by KansasForEver

4 stars Eighth album for the American progressive metalheads of REDEMPTION, five years after "Long Night's Journey into Day" which saw the induction as vocalist of Tom ENGLUND known to be the leader of EVERGREY replacing Ray ALDER, lead singer of FATE'S WARNING, in short we remain among people of good company.

The charismatic musical leader of REDEMPTION is the guitarist and keyboardist Nicolas VAN DYK present since the first album in 2003, quickly joined by the drummer Chris QUIRARTE in 2005 and novelty the guest keyboardist of the previous album Vikram SHANKAR is now an integral part of the American formation.

REDEMPTION works in the overloaded niche (this is only my impression) of progressive metal which has many aficionados, so you have to sort it out like for DREAM THEATER, SYMPHONY X or other more obscure formations. We will remember that the title of the new album as well as the inaugural piece take up the title of a track from BLUE OYSTER CULT (probably by chance).

The tracks that caught my attention in the order of the album are as often the most extensive either "Remember the Dawn" (magnificent keyboards by Vikram in the first quarter), the calm and even soft "The Emotional Depiction of Light " (the second version is even more beautiful and refined, it is moreover the original version of the piece), "Action at the Distance" sublime epic track which I never tire of (Ah these keyboards!) and " All This Time" (the piano/keyboard bridge of the eighth minute is extraordinary).

We find on this disc two curiosities, a supercharged and overguitarized version of "Turn It On Again" from Genesis and "Red Rain" one of the most beautiful titles written by Peter GABRIEL in his solitary escape, both are certainly worth the detour and your attentive listening.

In summary and in the chosen niche, an excellent cake that should delight your eardrums.

 Long Night's Journey into Day by REDEMPTION album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.87 | 53 ratings

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Long Night's Journey into Day
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by praj912

4 stars Sorry, there's just too many guitar solos on this album. If I wanted to listen to constant blistering guitar solos combined with great songs then I would listen to Redemption. And Tom Englund, he's not from America. He's Svenska-ish. This is a return to form. Englund proves again he is the best voice in melodic metal. He sounds like Alder at times, but Englund knows how to lift a melody out of the noise. The guitar solos are sublime, sublime. The songs have meaning and the cheesiness lost. Quirante, I missed thee. Explosive tasteful drumming. Everything else solid. Backing harmonies adding depth. Great choruses. Not progresive by today's standards, quality smart metal performed by maestros. 4/5 because it ain't prog.

 Long Night's Journey into Day by REDEMPTION album cover Studio Album, 2018
3.87 | 53 ratings

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Long Night's Journey into Day
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

4 stars Redemption is a reliable source of killer riffs, shredding solos, vocal hooks and melodic arrangements, and this album is no different. Tom Englund (of Evergrey) replaces Ray Alder (of Fates Warning) on the mic here. Both gentlemen are well-suited to this kind of dramatic music, although Tom, probably having been a last-minute replacement, in places sounds kind of subdued here.

Long Night's Journey Into Day probably won't be judged as Redemption's finest - there is less variety here than on earlier albums, which were a bit more atmospheric, and the guys, probably sensing it, seem to try to cover this deficiency with more hyperactivity - but it's still very solid.

 Snowfall on Judgment Day by REDEMPTION album cover Studio Album, 2009
3.97 | 218 ratings

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Snowfall on Judgment Day
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

4 stars I think that Snowfall on Judgment Day is Redemption's best, at least, sound-wise, album. I don't mind if it's not "organically" produced, smooths some of the rougher edges of their previous albums and is too calculated to hit all the sweet spots of those who like their metal both heavy and a little cheesy. A crunchy riff, a poppy synth line, a shredding solo and an earnest power ballad all come when you expect them to come. And there is even James LaBrie of the genre's godfathers Dream Theater guesting. A lot of bands repeat their successful formula, but at least you could say that Snowfall promises the prog power metal goods and delivers.
 The Fullness of Time by REDEMPTION album cover Studio Album, 2005
4.15 | 328 ratings

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The Fullness of Time
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

3 stars California-based Redemption is one of the better bands of the Dream Theater-lite style, combining crunchy riffs, cheesy synths, an abundance of shredding solos and an overdramatic vocal. You know, a kind of band you know is unoriginal, but technically very impressive and kind of fun to listen to. Redemption does have a specialty though - cathartic songs about tramautic interpersonal relationships delivered in a "sensitive macho" vocals style of Ray Alder. And the truth is, there is a certain limit to the amount of this lyrical stuff one can digest, and I think they slightly overdid it here. Especially the 20-minute suite, the Fullness of Time, which I find to be not as seamless as I'd like and kind of unneccesarily harsh in the beginning.
 The Art of Loss by REDEMPTION album cover Studio Album, 2016
3.77 | 104 ratings

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The Art of Loss
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

4 stars Redemption plays prog metal that is bombastic and emotionally intense. Like Dream Theater without the quirks or stylistic detours of the more adventurous prog metal bands, though they are not beneath pop sensibilities. Redemption's about crunchy riffs, cheesy synths, sing-along choruses and the manly voice of Ray Alder, which distinguishes them among similar bands but with high-pitched vocalists. As the themes of their albums mainly revolve around human psychology, I'd say this is about 90 percent tension and 10 percent release. At Redemption's longest, the 70-minute plus of this stuff may seem a bit overwhelming and monotonous, so the guys spice things up with gazillions of shredding, courtesy of the bandwagon of guest guitarists. In short, Redemption doesn't break new ground, but the Art of Loss is better than This Mortal Coil and is one of their most enjoyable releases.
 The Art of Loss by REDEMPTION album cover Studio Album, 2016
3.77 | 104 ratings

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The Art of Loss
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by Mebert78

4 stars One band's "loss" is another man's gain. That "loss," in this case, is Redemption's latest amazing album, The Art of Loss, which explores the themes of love, fear and loss over the course of nine emotional and melodic tracks. The man, of course, is me -- or any fan of this superbly talented progressive metal band. We are the ones who gain a collection of spectacularly-crafted songs that'll help strengthen us, inspire us, and (most importantly) melt our mother[%*!#]ing faces. Thank you, Redemption!

Before we proceed, I should note I am a diehard fan of Redemption. For example, I pledged funds in support of their Live from the Pit DVD and one of my all-time favorite albums is their 2009 masterpiece, Snowfall on Judgment Day. The introspective lyrics of guitarist Nick van Dyk touch me deeply, and I admire the band's ability to create music that can be incredibly beautiful and soul-crushingly heavy at the same time. It's a unique mix that few bands can pull off, but Redemption has been doing it for over a decade now. Oh, and there's also the gorgeous voice of Ray Alder, who is better known as the vocalist of one of the pioneering bands of progressive metal: Fates Warning. If he's singin', I'm listenin'. On a sad note, this the band's first album without guitarist Bernie Versailles, who is recovering from an aneurysm. In classy fashion, they dedicated the record to him, writing in the liners they "await his return when he is ready." To fill his shoes, they've recruited Simone Mularoni of DGM and three Ex-Megadeth guitarists: Chris Broderick, Marty Friedman and Chris Poland.

The Art of Loss kicks off with the kick-ass title track and then delivers six straight songs that are among the group's greatest work. The highlights for me include the catchy headbanger "Damaged," the almost pop rockish "That Golden Light," and the blistering "Thirty Silver" -- the latter of which features scorching solos by all three of the former Megadeth axemen. Other favorites were "Hope Dies Last," which has a piano intro reminiscent of Snowfall's "Black and White World," and the 20-minute epic "At Day's End." I also must praise the band's brilliant rendition of The Who's 1973 classic, "Love, Reign O'er Me," which features guest vocals by John Bush of Armored Saint. With regard to lyrical content, poetry lovers might like to learn that "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" and "The Center of the Fire" were based on WB Yeats' "The Second Coming" and Oriah Mountain Dreamer's "The Invitation."

As for the album's artwork, it's one of my favorites from any progressive metal band in recent years. It depicts a broken wine glass on its side with red liquid spilt on a white background -- almost appearing like blood. Very simple, yet very powerful. It prompted several questions in my mind before even hearing a song, such as: Who dropped the glass and what caused he or she to drop it? Was it someone experiencing some sort of bad news (aka a "loss")? And, if so, what was the bad news? Apparently, the artwork was created by graphic artist Travis Smith, who has compiled quite the heavy metal resume. In fact, the quality of his covers might rank up there with Hugh Syme, who is best known for his work with Rush.

Getting back to Bernie, I just want to offer some warm wishes for a speedy recovery as he battles the aneurysm. He's definitely one talented dude, and I'd love to see him slay again. Considering Nick van Dyk recently overcame his own medical issue -- a cancer scare that inspired the group's 2011 album, This Mortal Coil -- it's no surprise the band handled this situation in a compassionate way. I also like the choice to use several guest guitarists instead of a singular replacement for this album. After all, no one can replace Bernie.

If you're a fan of Redemption, you won't be disappointed by The Art of Loss. It has everything we've come to love about the band, if you ask me. Of course, the record leaves a bittersweet feeling due to the aneurysm situation with Versailles, but these songs rock so hard that you can't help but love them. Let's just hope it's not another five years until their next release.

- Michael R. Ebert (progzombie.blogspot.com)

 Live from the Pit by REDEMPTION album cover Live, 2014
3.84 | 10 ratings

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Live from the Pit
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by Spartanj42

4 stars So Redemption's been on a bit of a break since their excellent 2011 release This Mortal Coil. This has seen lots of tours and big live performances at multiple festivals. In doing so they've made quite a name for themselves and they finally decided to grace us with a live album called Live From the Pit that seems to be an average of all the material they've been playing the last three years. At Progpower 2012 they played a rather long set for a festival (at 80 minutes) with quite a wide smattering of material from different albums.

Production and mixing are usually the most important things you look at with a live album so let's see. I found them both to be very well done, I was able to hear every instrument as well as was necessary at the time, maybe the guitar wasn't quite as high as it could have been in the mix, but the keyboards are magnificently mixed so that's good. Also the guitars have a very gritty tone which I really like. The drums are a bit high, but in my experience that's something you'll find in almost every live album ever made. So the mixing and production are good, usually second most important when considering a live album is the setlist. The set they played is pretty representative of their discography. The majority of the setlist is taken from the albums The Origin of Ruin and This Mortal Coil. Only two songs each were played from The Fullness of Time and Snowfall on Judgement day, the former being my favorite that was slightly disappointing, but they did an excellent job with the two they did. Only one song from their self titled debut, but I'm okay with that.

The whole thing starts with Threads which works well as an explosive opener for both the concert and the album it's from, but immediately following it is the real show stopper In the Suffocating Silence, one of my favorite Redemption songs they really did the song justice with some really strong keyboard playi ng. Other standout performances include Parker's Eyes, Fall on You, Stronger than Death and Black and White World. Apparently this was the first time they had ever performed Parkers Eyes live so that's a cool treat for Redemption fans, not to mention they played the pants off it. Now when I say a "standout performance" I mean they really conveyed the emotion of it to the audience, they managed to use the live setting to their advantage and build up to a climax in a way that's difficult to do in studio. Especially on Black and White World, they really nailed that one. Oh also Dreams from the Pit features a really fantastic bass solo, I mean Sean Andrews played the hell out of it and his bass playing really made Dreams from the Pit a very memorable performance.

The emotion is all very heartfelt the power behind the songs is there and everything sounds really tight. One of the few issues I have with this is that for the most part everything sounds just like it did in studio, like they didn't do anything differently even the solos were pretty much exactly the same. Plus the crowd's really quiet and there's almost no crowd interaction so it hardly sounds like a live album at all sometimes. It's really more of a compilation album with scattered applause here and there. If that doesn't bother you in live albums then more power to you, but I could have done with a little more crwod involvement and maybe some improvised solos. Overall it shows that Redemption does still have it and that Ray Alder is still a great singer, I look forward to their next studio album because so far they've never really let me down.

 This Mortal Coil by REDEMPTION album cover Studio Album, 2011
3.33 | 100 ratings

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This Mortal Coil
Redemption Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

3 stars Redemption play a deeply personal (no political rants here, just man and his problems), pounding yet melodic type of sophisticated metal, with great guitar-synth interplay, usually fast, but sometimes they slow down for a kind of a cathartic slow burner. This type of music is suitably complemented by the strong and emotional voice of Fates Warning vocalist, Ray Alder (who is a rare type of a Hispanic front man in prog metal).

Redemption's latest album, This mortal coil, does not offer much new to their catalogue, maybe little bit heavier and more aggressive than usual. There are good tunes here - fluid and fast Blink of an eye, for example, the slow burner Let it rain, etc. But this album is marred by poor, muddy production, and out of shape condition of Alder's vocals, who has a slight natural hoarseness in his voice, but sounds more hoarse and tired than usual. This is by itself not a crime, but it stands in strangely glaring contrast with the previous album, Snowfall on judgement day, which was maybe over-polished, but very dynamic in sound. You could always pare down over-production excesses, but not so radically and in a downfall manner.

Now, you could make an argument that such bleakness is appropriate to the subject matter, the struggle with a death-threatening condition of the band leader, Nick van Dyk. But it's no excuse for a rushed production work, which makes this album kinda hard to listen to, if played together with Redemption's earlier work.

Thanks to Paschendale for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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