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POVERTY'S NO CRIME

Progressive Metal • Germany


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Poverty's No Crime biography
POVERTY'S NO CRIME is a Progressive Metal band founded in 1991 by Volker Walsemann (vocals & guitars), Marco Ahrens (guitars), Christian Scheele (bass), Marcello Maniscalco (keyboards) and Andreas Tegeler (drums). In the beginings of the band, they Released demos like, "My Favourite Delusion" and "Perfect Wings".

Their debut album, "Symbiosis ", was released in Spring 1995 and was warmly greeted by the press. "With this homogenous, deep and convincing CD debut, POVERTY'S NO CRIME have more fulfilled their inherent promise and have formed a solid foundation for their future", praised Rock Hard, one of Germany`s two mega-metal-mags.

POVERTY'S NO CRIME found a new business (and ideological) home at Inside Out, currently Germany`s most important Prog-Metal label, who also have such great bands as SPOCKS BEARD, SYMPHONY X, VANDEN PLAS, and PLATYPUS under their contractual wing. Inside Out are known of signing only a certain, carefully and selected contingent of bands, whom they know they can support with great enthusiasm. In view of this, the liaison between POVERTY'S NO CRIME and Inside Out seems to be under a lucky star.
In the late 1999 POVERTY'S NO CRIME faced the first major line-up change when Marcello Maniscalco on the keyboards and bass player Christian Scheele left the band for other projects. Unimpressed by this loss, new material was written just by the remaining three musicians. However, just before entering the studio for the recordings of One in a Million the right guy for the vacant position behind the keyboards was found: Jörg Springub proved his perfect fit for the band with an impressing performance on the record.

This band is recomended to anyone who loves Progressive Metal and great melodic music.
(By Matthias Mineur and POVERTY'S NO CRIME:
http://www.Povertys-no-crime.de; edited by Bepinktheater)

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POVERTY'S NO CRIME discography


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POVERTY'S NO CRIME top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.05 | 13 ratings
Symbiosis
1995
3.92 | 18 ratings
The Autumn Years
1996
3.75 | 23 ratings
Slave to the Mind
1999
3.42 | 25 ratings
One in a Million
2001
4.10 | 53 ratings
The Chemical Chaos
2003
3.63 | 28 ratings
Save My Soul
2007
3.56 | 18 ratings
Spiral of Fear
2016
4.14 | 13 ratings
A Secret to Hide
2021

POVERTY'S NO CRIME Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

POVERTY'S NO CRIME Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

POVERTY'S NO CRIME Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

POVERTY'S NO CRIME Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

POVERTY'S NO CRIME Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 A Secret to Hide by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 2021
4.14 | 13 ratings

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A Secret to Hide
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

4 stars The pandemic has seen a resurgence of some of the bands that were active up to the late 2000s but faded away as time and tastes went by. Despite the break, Poverty's No Crime stay true to the mid-tempo, melodic sound, focusing on teamwork rather than individual flash, with an earnest, regular-guy vocals. There is an abundance of lead guitar lines, but those are always supported by strong band backing. In fact, if you strip them down, the songs would make a fine camp-fire sing-a-along. The loud but somewhat flat wall-of-sound production is similar to their 2016 comeback, Spiral of Fear. If the average track lenght may seem the longest since their One in a Million days, well, it's not because of excessive complexity, but due to the tendency to stretch the songs to the very point when more would make you press the "next" button. There is only so much even of a great melody that the listener can absorb. You may call this boring, but I guess it suits my middle-aged temperament just fine.
 Spiral of Fear by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 2016
3.56 | 18 ratings

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Spiral of Fear
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

3 stars Here's an underappreciated band I didn't expect to hear from again! 9 years have passed since their last album. Well, they're back. Poverty's No Crime sits on the borderlines of power metal, hard rock and adult-oriented rock, an adult-oriented metal if you will. If there is one word to describe their style, is steady - they never go into excess and the instrumental breaks are more about team playing than a bunch of individual solos.

Spiral of Fear continues Save My Soul's heavier and darker sound, so it is more in line with the predominant style of their prog metal peers such as Vanden Plas or Threshold, but overall, this is Poverty's No Crime by the numbers - crunchy riffs and sing-along choruses mixed with introspective atmospherics. For every song here could be found a parallel from their earlier works - the cool sci-fi instrumental The Fifth Element, of example, is a direct cousin of (an even cooler) Terminal Trip off the Chemical Chaos album. Though I could wish for greater variation in sound like their earlier albums, and the vocal is processed one too often (to cover for the understandable rustiness of the singer) I'm glad they're back.

 One in a Million by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 2001
3.42 | 25 ratings

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One in a Million
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

4 stars Not very commercially named, Poverty' no crime are criminally underrated. They are not groundbreaking or flashy, just melodic progressive hard rock/metal with emphasis on the compositions and good lyrics. I know that's not much of a description, but when they stick to their strength of 7-minute songs, there is not a note excessive or out of place. Volley Wasserman doesn't have much range, but is a smooth and pleasant singer, who can croon or sing more forcefully. I'd say they were more hard rock than metal, if not for the wall of the guitars.

On their fourth album, PNC's songs are slightly more progressive of a song-within-a-song variety, and with more solos than on earlier albums. In addition to the 4 epics, there are 4 power rockers, with fluid lead guitar lines complemented for contrast with some chugging riffs. A downside is a kind of a flat and garage-y production. They would finally get a top notch production on their fifth, and best album. Overall, a very solid release, as always with these guys.

 The Chemical Chaos by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 2003
4.10 | 53 ratings

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The Chemical Chaos
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Back with their fifth album, Poverty's No Crime show no signs of slowing down with yet another hard rocking set. While some of these songs probably come under the prog metal banner, there are other which are much more straightforward melodic hard rock. Opener "Walk Into Nowhere" is a good snapshot of the whole of the album ? there are times when it is riffing hard, times when it is soft and gentle, sometimes all of the band rocking hard and at others it is just vocals and acoustic guitar. All of the time it is keeping to a strong melody so that even though the music is flowing and changing it is very easy to listen to. This would be a great gig opener, as it would really pump up the crowd. But what makes this song for me is the small gap where a few finger popped bass notes make their appearance felt and linger ? it is small nuances that can really make a song.

Each song flows into the next, and the band is happy blasting along or just playing gently, but this never lasts for too long. On "Every Kind Of life" the guitars are blasting out while the keyboards gently follow the vocal melody, simple stuff but it works. Strong production helps the music to be captured at its' best, and the result is an album that is full of powerful songs and rocking guitars that anybody who enjoys prog metal will have to have in their collection. Superb.

Originally appeared in Feedback #78, April 2004

 Save My Soul by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 2007
3.63 | 28 ratings

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Save My Soul
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

4 stars On their last album to date, these erstwhile proggy hard rockers metallized their sound even more. An attempt to appeal to a wider audience, maybe. It's not THAT heavy. The vocalist is too pleasant and music too rooted in classic rock for that. I could call it dark power metal maybe. Another example could be Evergrey.

Songs here are more or less evenly divided between these dark power moments (eg, open your eyes, end in sight) and more proggy numbers (from a distance, in the wait loop, break the spell). Also a ballad and an instrumental are thrown in for good measure, but they are, in my opinion, inferior to their analogues on the previous album Chemical chaos (acoustic Access denied and Terminal Trip).

Still, the genius of this excellent but underrated band is that every song contains a memorable hook from guitars, keyboards or vocals.

 The Chemical Chaos by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 2003
4.10 | 53 ratings

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The Chemical Chaos
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

5 stars Poverty's best work. Previous ones were also good, but here they finally get a top-notch production (more hard-rockish than metallic) which really serves to bring out power and emotion in their music. The first three songs are actually one of the best 1-2-3 punches to open an album I've heard. Catchy melodies, tempo shifts, a slap bass solo. What's not to like? They might be slightly less complicated than previous 2 albums in the sense that they are no song-within-a-song numbers here. But hardly a note is wasted.

In addition to the first three, also of mention are the beautiful melancholic acoustic version of Access denied, and the instrumental Terminal Trip - one of my favorite prog metal instrumentals with its diverse array of keyboard breaks and twin guitar harmonizing. It's different from other songs which revolve around phylosophical issues, and reminds me of a sci-fi chase movie.

Now, the job of a reviewer obligates me to point out not only pros but contras as well. Ooh I don't know. Second half weaker that the first half? 9-minute Pact with the past overstates it welcome? It's just cherry picking.

Overall, excellent work.

 The Autumn Years by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 1996
3.92 | 18 ratings

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The Autumn Years
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by Progrussia

4 stars Poverty's no crime is one of my favorite bands. It's a pity they are not appreciated more, which presumably is the reason for their long periods of inactivity. They've got such a perfect mix of hard rock, AOR (smooth mid range vocals) and prog metal - intricate and slightly boring - that a middle-aged metal head would not ashamed to listen to. This is one of their earlier albums. I would describe it as intelligent hard rock rather than prog metal per se. Songs are in 6 minute range, nicely developed with long intros and bridges building up to an emphatic conclusion. All songs are solid (what does not happen often). But not too adventurous. Maybe because I got it as mp3, but the mix sounds quiet, I have to crank up the volume very high and then it kind of blurs. If there were a better production, I would have given it a 5.
 One in a Million by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 2001
3.42 | 25 ratings

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One in a Million
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars The fourth album by German prog metallers Poverty's No Crime shows them in fine form. The summer sees them on the road with Spock's Beard, Threshold, Pain Of Salvation, Symphony X, Flower Kings and Devin Townsend so they are certainly being kept busy. But while the press release states how much heavier the band have become, it is an effect that is glossed over just a little too much in the production. The impression is that here is a band that can really play, and has some great ideas, but will be totally different in the concert arena where the sound will be much more raw.

On the plus side, there is a great version of Rush's "Distant Early Warning", another band that also suffered at times from too much fiddling in the studio (it is easily one of the best Rush covers/tributes I have ever heard). I did enjoy the album but will probably be turning to label- mates Threshold for this type of music.

Originally appeared in Feedback 63, July 01

 The Chemical Chaos by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 2003
4.10 | 53 ratings

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The Chemical Chaos
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

4 stars With this release, Pioverty's no Crime climbs to a higher level in prog metal, that is for sure, their best album , at least for me. Now they reached the peak of their career with The chemical chaos from 2003. Everything is top notch here, from excellent, in places quite impressive musicianship to the spectacular chops and obsolutly stunning keybords arrangements made by Jörg Springup. The voice again is at higher level, the instrumental passages are classy as ever, cab beat any well known prog metal band from this genre, the instrumental track called Terminal trip or the intro of the longest pieces from here Pact withe past, shows how great this band is and how strong ideas they have. I must say that they are better then most of the bands from today in prog metal zone, with this album they prove that they need a wider recognition, who by the way is a little unnoticed here in PA. From the slower moments, with guitar shines on every note galoping through keyboards and bass passages that will envy any prog metal musician, Poverty's No Crime did it with this album, really a fantastic and full of catchy tune. Well done guys, I msut admit I never expected to sound so strong in first place. Recommended band and this album in particular, one of the most pleasent albums from prog metal subgenre I've come across latley, 4 stars for sure. This band needs to be discovered by a larger public, they worth it.
 One in a Million by POVERTY'S NO CRIME album cover Studio Album, 2001
3.42 | 25 ratings

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One in a Million
Poverty's No Crime Progressive Metal

Review by b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

3 stars After having and reviewing previous album Slave to mind, I've decided to check anothe r album from this band , who sounded very promising and tight. So I purchase this week this album together with the next one from 2003entitled One in amillion from 2001 by the excellent progressive metal band Poverty's no Crime. I like a lot what this band offers, not an everyday prog metal, the musicianship is very tight and the ideas are better then on most bands from this genre. The album is solid with some fantastic pieces like Ancient lies or Incognito, each musician did a great job here with a plus on vocal department offered by Volker Walsemann. I like this band specially because, they don't have every second that boring and endless instrumental passages with many unintristing noodleings like late DT stuff, they are more concentrated on how to compose a piece not to show to the listner how good I am on ainstrumenta or aother. The rsult is obvious a solid and very tight album, with serious great ideas and good pieces all over. 3 stars for this album, a good one all the way , little less intristing then previous one and for sure less good then next one who is almost a masterpiece of prog metal. Great band.
Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition.

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