ADRAMELCH

— First review of this album —

If ever there was a band that doesn't like to rush things, Italian proggers Adramelch has to be it. Their debut came out in 1988, but they split up soon afterwards. The lead singer Vittorio Ballerio and guitarist Gianluca A. Corona decided to create a new version of the band in 2004, primarily to record songs that they had written before the original split, and the follow-up 'Broken History' came out in 2005. So now, only seven years since the release of their second album (this came out in 2012 but I have only just come across it), and the same line-up from the last album have stuck around to record a third. These guys are coming towards prog from the areas of hard rock and metal, but also bringing in melodic rock as well. The result is an extremely well crafted and constructed album that is going to appeal to fans of many genres.

Imagine Savatage combining with Porcupine Tree, City Boy and Uriah Heep and you may just come close to what these guys are all about. Twin guitars and a very strong rhythm section (hats off to bassist Maurizio Lietti who provides some incredible runs when the mood requires it) means that this is an album that hits the spot on so many levels. It is easy to listen to and enjoy from the very first play, and the more attention it gets the more rewards it gives out. It has now got me wondering what the other albums are like, and just how long we may have to wait for the next one! Not for those who really want crunching riffs, as they certainly are no Threshold, but if well-crafted music is what you are after then look no further. www.adramelch.com

Production? Improved. quality of songs? fallen a little bit since the last...

After a 17 year gap, 'Adramelch' is back with their newest album 'Broken History'.

The album starts off with 'Intro Fantasia' which is a pleasant, if short and non-memorable track. This leads into the heavy rocker 'I'll Save The World' which starts off with a basic speed metal riff before the power metalesque vocals come in and before you know it, you are doubting whether or not this is prog at all. This song is fairly weak. Next song is 'Cluny Calls' which gives us a little bit more variety in the instrumentation. It's a stronger track but it's still speed metal, verging much closer to bands like 'Helloween' than anything in the archives. If that's your kind of thing, then this is actually a pretty good speed metal song, otherwise stay clear. 'Choral Prelude' feels unnecessary but is pleasant enough. Also, it leads into what I consider to be the strongest track on the album, 'Broken History'. It starts off much more reserved with calming and relaxed vocals (a style Adramelch does well but rarely ever does.) Of course the riffs do come but they feel much more contained, and less in your face. 'Beloved Jerusalem' continues in this reserved trend but instrumentally it just feels bland and repetitive.

'Heap of Bones' isn't a bad song, it starts off with some nice relaxing guitar work, but it is nothing spectacular, more of the same from these guys... Oddly enough, I am missing the riffs that raced by at the start of the album. 'Dethroned in Shame' is refreshing with some nice riffs throughout, one of the better songs here thanks to some backing guitar. This is just speed metal, but it isn't bad at all for what it is. 'Darts of Wind' is next, this is sadly a very forgettable light track that sounds the exact same as 'Beloved Jerusalem' or 'Heap of Bones'.

'Different Times, Different Places' has a very Maiden feel to it... It isn't bad but it is nothing spectacular, this is at least a consistent track, even if it begins to wear off its NWOBHM welcome by the end. 'Declaimed Prelude' is spoken word, and feels out of place on the album, this is the kind of thing you might expect from 'Rhapsody' or 'Manowar' but the song feels like an odd fit here. 'Ten Wiles' brings you back to Helloween, it isn't bad, in fact I quite like this song, but it is nothing new or original. Then comes the 'Conclusion', which is relaxed and nice, but non-essential to the album.

Regarding the album, the production is much better than the predecessor, but I feel as though the music itself is a little bit worse. It's not necessarily bad but it certainly isn't prog and is only recommended for fans of bands like 'Helloween'.

2.25/5

I don't quite understand the high reviews on this album, this is mediocre power metal at best, with just a few elements of Prog assembled here and there. 'Fearful Visions' is dreadfully boring, with little to draw in anybody who is looking for anything more than a simple power metal album. 'Zephirus steps things up a bit, giving us one of the best guitar solos from 'Aldramelch' at 4:11. 'Irae Melanox' starts off on a low note, It starts of with 3 and a half minutes of the most boring, derivative riff I could think of. Then, with a minute bridge, with little to keep us engaged at 4:35 we enter a very nice guitar solo that definitely picks up this song. At 5:12 we enter into the best part of the song, a real laid back and softer side of 'Aldramelch' that I quite like 5:58 brings us some wonderful backing vocals that give me chills every time I listen to it. At 6:27 guitars come in and take this album back to a rocking level, on the whole, not a bad song, definitely finished itself well.

'Lamento' serves as an uninteresting and uninspired bridge between 'Irae Melanox' and 'Decay' which, I hate to say it, but sounds really bad. Another uninspired song that feels like filler, there is nothing prog here, just speed / power metal. By the time 'Was Called Empire' comes on, you're already missing that soft somber music from 'Lamento' but the guitar here is unrelenting as well as uninteresting, another low point on the album. The two songs, 'Eyes of Alabaster' follow this trend and by the end of this album, I found myself looking at the clock and waiting for it to end.

This album does have it's highlights, there aren't many but they are here, it's just that the lows are lower and more frequent.

2/5 fans only!

I was approaching this album with a very substantial amount of scepticism. I am not a fan of progressive metal. In particular progressive metal from the late 1980s and early 1990s.

This is Adramelch's debut album, released in 1988. It has just been re-released by the band themselves with a bonus CD with earlier material. But I am concentrating my review on Irae Melanox.

It is pretty obvious that speed metal was a major influence on Adramelch. To be even more precise; the German, more melodic version of speed metal. This album cannot be compared to Reign In Blood (of Slayer) at all. Adramelch played speed metal infused with progressive rock and progressive metal. That and some church music you will find played in the many cathedrals in Italy. It is a special mix of metal Adramelch did on this album.

It is also a surprisingly good album too and one of the better albums from that period. The songs are powerful, but yet melodic. There is an undercurrent of RPI and symphonic church music (Johan Sebastian Bach) in their music. The songs are pretty long and well developed. The vocals are an acquired taste, but slightly tiresome. The guitars sounds a bit dated. The bass and drums are keeping the music honest.

The best tracks here by far is Zephirus and the title track. Both tracks draws in a lot of influences from other genres. There is a couple of slightly dubious tracks here too. But this is still a very good album which should really appeal to the progressive metal fan out there. In particular the new luxury version with the bonus CD. This is not an album I would rate as great, but it is in the same area. If I had reviewed this in 1988, it would had been a five stars album though.

3.5 stars

Irae Melanox is one of the masterpieces of the history of epic/power metal. No doubt about this...If this LP had a good production then it could easily stand next to the best albums of Manowar,Warlord,Jag panzer,Gargoyle etc.The band managedto make its own personal sound and that is something very few undeground 80s bands achieved in the history of heavy metal. Adramelch is part of a group of immortal undrground metal bands that although they didn't become known to the metal world, their quality was as high as Iron Maiden,Metallica,Helloween,Queensryche etc (e.g metal gods like Exodo, Leather Nunn, Hammeron,Breeze Least, Surrender, Legend (france), Dark Quarterer, Venin, Excalibur (spain), Black Knight etc

After 17 years the Italian legend came back with a 2nd album. Irae melanox was almost a flawless LP and I say ''almost'' because of the very bad production of that record. Fortunately, Broken History has a fair production that allows the listener to understand fully the parametres of the album. I will not say more as the new album must be heard by all power metal funs. Simply perfect....