SNOWFALL ON JUDGMENT DAY

Blessed with two promo albums to review, I put this one aside until I had finished the Shadow Gallery album. Again, most of it was due to my relative newness to Prog Metal. In both cases, I started by questioning my own prejudices or stereotypes vis a vis the genre.

In both cases, I also found much to please most prog fans.

Yes, you will find the heavy guitars at the forefront, with the shred solos. Yes, the Dream Theater influences are there. Same as with the trash metal progressives like Metallica, Megadeth and in some cases Iron Maiden. The first two metal giants you can hear in Snowfall on Judgment Day's riffs & guitar tones. The latter, just in fleeting instrumental moments that I find hard to pinpoint - Alder's vocal style makes me forget the Maiden comparison before I can think of what Maiden it reminds me of :-).

But after a few listens, for some reason, the album brought to mind a prog metal version of Frost* (Neo Prog Metal ?).

Is this good or bad ? Well, while not as inventive or original sounding as Frost*, Redemption does come across as skilled at composing melodies, but without wallowing in mellowness. And they can then drop the gloves and wallop you with a great riff. Much heavier than Frost* mind you. But still enjoyable as being part of the song.

All, and all , well worth checking out any samples you can find online. 30 second snatches should provide a good indication for those who are starting to search out prog metal. There are a few out & out Prog Metal songs, with the progressive trash guitar dominating. Fistful of Sand wouldn't seem out of place on a latter day Megadeth album. And unlike Shadow Gallery, I can't tell a true symphonic fan that they would enjoy this through & through. But if you're one that can imagine the guitar part played by synths or mellotron, you might appreciate this.

So not a masterpiece of prog by any measure, but surely a very competent piece of work that should interest fans of melodic metal, and keep Redemption fans hungry for another album.