PATHOSRAY

Well this didn't blow me away like their debut did (not even close) but there's still lots to like here for Metal fans. They have added two guest female singers who contribute on the last three tracks. Funny but the bonus track is maybe my favourite song on here.That's really unusual.The art work is clever and futuristic to say the least.

"Crown Of Thorns" hits us right away with a heavy onslaught as vocals eventually join in.This is kind of catchy. "Behind The Shadows" sounds amazing to start but that changes when it settles and the vocals arrive. A pretty good instrumental section starts before 3 1/2 minutes. "Aurora" turns heavy quickly and keyboards also join in. It calms right down and the vocals arrive. It picks back up right away though with riffs. A guitar solo after 3 minutes. "Quantic Enigma" opens with intricate guitar then it turns heavy. A calm when the vocals arrives then it kicks back in after a minute as contrasts continue. "In Your Arms" is ballad-like unfortunately although it does get fuller. Still i'm not a fan.

"Sons Of The Sunless Skies" opens with synths and bass before the heaviness takes over.Vocals before a minute as it stays heavy. Lots of background piano later. "The Coldest Lullaby" sounds great on the more aggressive sections not so good on the mellow ones. Female vocals around 2 minutes. "Perpetual Eclipse" features more female vocals with piano this time. It does get fuller. "Poltergeist" hits the ground running then it settles with vocals before a minute, then it kicks back in quickly. Great sound after 4 1/2 minutes.The female vocal melodies late sound really good too.

3.5 stars. I just can't pull the trigger on 4 stars whereas on the debut it was such an easy decision. Well worth checking out though if your a Prog-Metal fan.

This is the second album from the Italian band Pathosray. I was a little apprehensive when I bought this CD without hearing anything off of it. I just loved their first self title release and was somehow worry that this second offering would not meet my high expectations.

In my opinion, this release is not as good as their debut album, but is definitively still worth looking into.

Their sound evolved a little. It seems a little bit less melodic, a little less clean but at the same time just as powerful. Maybe it is because the keyboards seems either too discreet or too dissonant (like, not quite fitting in?or, dare I say, almost annoying like in "Behind The Shadows", "Quantum Enigma" and "Sons Of A Sunless Skies"). Somehow I prefer the way the keyboards/piano were played (or pounded upon) on their previous album.

The rhythmic and riffs sometimes reminds me of the band "Redemption". I have heard of few passages that reminds me of "Dream Theater" and also "Iced Earth". There are still great vocals harmonies present with also the addition of some female vocals on some tracks (something new) that definitively add value.

"Crown Of Thorns" is a great opening track. Other strong moments on this CD are "In Your Arms", "Sons Of Sunless Skies", the power ballad "The Coldest Lullaby" with a duet with a female singer. "Poltergeist" is the best song here. It is also more representative of what they were doing before (and yes! I definitively like the keyboards on that one!). It has some vocals that remind me of a "Great Gig In The Sky" in the closing of the song. I had the bonus track on my CD "For The Last Time" which repeat some of the lyrics and melody of "Poltergeist" but in a different mood altogether.

Definitively a solid effort from theses guys. I am surprised that they don't get more attention. I hope they keep on the good work and I am definitively looking forward the next release. 4 stars.

What an excellent debut album for this band! Their sound is very metal, melodic and has a nice emphasis on the vocals and good harmonized backing vocals. The instruments are well balanced and the sound is very clean and rich. The production is top notch.

The first track, "Lines Of Doubt" is a short but very nice classical piano piece. There is a dramatic and drastic transition from the end of the 1st track into the second. An approach often used but very well executed here.

"Faded Crystals" starts really heavy and just overload you with its coordinated pounding of drums, bass, guitars and keyboards.

If you think I overrated this album, just listen to "Scent Of Snow" between 3 and 6 minutes. Then try to convince me that this is not prog metal at its best! This section of the song always works its magic with me. The bass guitar playing is awesome and I find this instrumental section just amazing. An definitive highlight of this album.

Part of the vocals on "The Sad Game" is from a guest singer. That and some of the arrangements reminds me of Iced Earth (not necessarly a good comparaison as I think Pathosray music is much more melodic and satisfaying). "In Salicis Umbra" is an interesting song just featuring some nice vocals and keyboards.

All the other songs are well executed and very enjoyable. I am surprised it doesn't get rated higher. Could it be because it is lacking on the innovation front? There is nothing absolutely new in terms of prog, but they do have some nice changes of paces and some nice contrasts. It is very well delivered and I do love this album. For fans of Circus Maximus and prog metal in general, you can't go wrong buying this album.

50+ minutes of absolute bliss. For me, 5 stars, without a doubt.

A good if derivative album.

What we have here is progressive-metal played in the most traditional style. Longer-than-usual songs, somewhat-irregular structures, extended instrumental sections and solos, prominent use of keyboards, and a heavy influence from the genre's classics. The music is well-played, with great technical proficiency and with an excellent recording.

The music is also very melodic. The band know how to incorporate subtle touches of melody in every song they play. The harmonic work is nothing out of the ordinary but it's competent. The choruses are fairly catchy, if not particularly memorable (most of them at least). Talking about the performances, without a question, the stars here are the drummer and mastermind Moni Bidin, the guitarist Luison and the keyboard player, Rinaldi. While I can't say that any of them are among the best the genre has to offer, they are skilled players and they even manage to dazzle at times throughout the album.

What's not to like about "Pathosray", the album? Probably what bothers me with this record is that the band's influences show too much through the music. I would even say that at times the group sounds like an exact replica of another. I'm talking about SYMPHONY X. If there's one band you'll be constantly reminded of while listening to this full-length is the legendary power-progressive outfit from the US. The riffing, the rhythms, the singing (Sandron sounds like a mix of FATES WARNING's Ray Alder and Sir Russell Allen from the aforementioned New Jersey band), everything is a little bit too similar to the group that gave us "The Divine Wings of Tragedy."

And the thing is, this band can do much more. That's evident in tracks like "The Sad Game", where PATHOSRAY still shows their influences but manage to mix that with original riffing that actually sounds more like CYNIC played in a traditional-progressive metal style (the entire song has some moments that remind us of Floridian metal music). That song is one of the highlights of the album, as is the great piano intro "Free of Doubt", the memorable "Faded Crystals" and the fast and heavy "Lines to Follow."

A very good band that has released a good debut album. Were it not for the too-obvious SYMPHONY X sound, I'd give "Pathosray" a solid 4-star rating. But we'll save that for next time, when I'm sure this Italian band will finally release the record we know they're capable of.

4.5 stars. I read an interview with the bass player Fabio who was asked If you could tour with 2 current bands of your choice who would you pick ? He said SYMPHONY X and KAMELOT. I think if your familiar with those two bands you will have a good idea of what kind of music is on PATHOSRAY's debut album.This record is at times bone crushing heavy and at other times very beautiful. More of the former though. A lot more. Haha. If this is the future of metal then the future is extremely bright. I'm going to run out of adjectives for this one. The singer Marco has such a vocal range from crystal clear to Bruce Dickinson at his most aggressive. Lots of double bass drumming, as well as heavy bass work from Fabio. Some beautiful keyboard work from Gianpaolo, and Luca shreds with the best of them on guitar.

"Free Of Doubt" is filled with beautiful piano melodies ending with synths that blend into "Faded Crystals". The synths are completely crushed by a punishing soundscape of heavy drums and bass while the piano plays over top. Vocals 1 1/2 minutes in as chunky bass accompanies,his voice starts to get angry. It mellows out somewhat with soaring vocals. The heaviness returns before more tasteful vocals with piano take over including a soaring guitar solo followed by a synth solo. The contrast of heavy and light continues. "Lines To Follow" hits the ground running but settles down with heavy bass. This contrast continues. Check out the drumming before a minute. Vocals are very Dickinson-like here. This is a good one. The background synths are a nice touch. This guy can sure sing. Lots of bottom end thanks to the killer bass work. The guitar is ripping it up. "Scent Of Snow" opens with a nice melodic soundscape before aggressive guitar comes in firing. It calms down when vocals come in. When he stops singing the guitar with deep bass take over. This contrast continues. This is a very accessible tune.

"Sorrow Never Dies" is dark,heavy and atmospheric to begin with. Reserved vocals come in.The bass is fat. The song becomes fuller 1 1/2 minutes in. Some powerful guitar 3 1/2 minutes in followed by a synth solo. Ripping guitar 6 minutes in, and check out the screaming vocals a couple of minutes later. "The Sad Game" is the longest track and my second favourite.This one is out of control. GARDEN WALL's Alessandro Seravalle chips in with vocals. Actually you could say he spits out the lyrics like a mad man. This is crushingly heavy,a wall of sound. The drummer and bass player stomp all over the soundscape,while the guitarist clears the way with his axe. "In Salicis Umbra" gives us time to recover after the last song. This is ballad-like with reserved vocals and piano. Good song. "Strange Kind Of Energy" opens with drums and bass. This is a pretty straight forward tune with vocals that remind me of Tate at times. The guitar breaks away before 4 minutes and sounds like IRON MAIDEN. "Emerald City" is a perfect way to end the album. This one is dark and heavy at times while at other times it brightens. For me this is the best vocal display on the whole album. The way he changes his tone is amazing. This is my favourite song on the album by the way. He sings with such passion on this one.

A must have for all you metal-heads. This is my favourite Metal album from 2007 along with RIVERSIDE's "Second Life Syndrome".