PYRAMID

This is quite unlike any other album that I have been listening to recently, while at the same time bringing together themes and styles that will be recognisable to many. It is progressive, while at the same time quite definitely hard rock, which means that they fit in the prog metal genre, or do they? This is a very technical band, with extremely complex guitar/keyboard interplay, which means that at times it is possible to imagine that one is listening to some new work by Steve Vai. There is the same fluidity, the same refusal to compromise to any ideals about what the music should sound like, yet at the same time making a lot of sense.

The second track is nearly twelve minutes long (but annoyingly fades out instead of finishing properly), and when Javier Cespedes is singing it is good strong melodic rock but the music switches and twists so that the listener wonders what is going to happen yet. Some songs are more commercial than others, but there is always the sense of expecting the unexpected. Easily one of the best Spanish albums I have heard in a long time.

Originally appeared in Feedback #70, Oct 02

Third album and aswell their swansong is a conceptual album issued in 2002 and named Gaudi's legacy. While is same in aproach as previous album, same complex arrangements, very good keybords, the sound is better for sure, is more fat and has a very solid drum sound, realy strong. So, the album is a concept about a spanish architect named Antonio Gaudi who lived between 1852-1926, his creations had a ghotic style, very strange and quite unique for thet period. The music fits perfectly with the lyrics, but this time the instrumental passages are lenghtier and greater in number, more then half of the album is instrumental. Complicated progressive metal passages, greta keybords fiting like gloves in guitar arrangements, good vocal parts, yet not great, still weakest point as on previous album, but not bad for sure. Many rhythmic changes, great druming very strong musicianship realy, one of the best prog metal bands from Spain for sure in this domain, yet very low treated and unknown. The melodic passages interludes very well with the complex ones, the ones who had some rough moemnst but yet very melodic and well performed. Another well played album in this fied that goes unnoticed by many listners, ok I understant that this band is to much influenced by DReam Theater but they don't sound bad at all, not a second. 3.-3.5 stars, I olike it together with previous one, two of the better albums from spanish prog metal scene.

Pyramid is a progressive metal band from Spain formed in mid '90's and releasing so far 3 albums, now they are disbanded for more then 5 years. This is their second album from 2000 named Immaculate lie. I'm not agree with the rating of the album here under 2.5 is too low, realy. I mean this is progressive metal clearly influenced by Dream Theater, Elegy or near what what italian prog metal bands offered in that period specialy Empty Tremor or Madsword, not bad at all, realy contrary to what is shown here in ratings. The instrumental passage s are realy strong , well crafted, typical for prog metal, ok nothing realy original or very impressive but very well pwerformed, complex pieces exactley how must sound this style. What drag the album down is the voice of Javier Cespedes, not realy bad but very on the nose singing , very much like Kiske (era Helloween), so not realy bad only unoriginal in my opinion. The album has plenty of enjoyble moemnts, all tracks are more then an hour of enjoyble progressibve metal, so not realy that bas as it shown here. LOng pieces, tight musicianship, maybe along with the voice the sound is not as on greater bands, but ok in the end, I know band with much awfull sound. So, a band and album I've enjoy lately , 3-3.5 for sure, progressive metal as must sound this style but un original , but well performed with good compostions all over. Just listen to Utopia City or Show me, One Of A Kind. Great cover art aswell.