PROGRESSIVE METAL

Pretty much like Awake and Falling Into Infinity I wasn't immediately won over and also pretty much like the aforementioned albums I came to love it, too. Nevertheless, to my personal taste it isn't as perfect as the other two because on Beyond This Life Petrucci and Rudess solo way too long and also I always skip The Spirit Carries On, I find it boring no end, whereas on Images... and Awake there isn't a single note to spare. Other than that, Metropolis pt.2 has won deservedly a place in the pantheon of the best prog metal albums ever, with Home/The Dance of Eternity as the pick of the bunch. It would be interesting to know if this album was mainly responsible for bringing Prog Metal to the fore, but the only certainty is that it sent all budding musicians practicing endless hours honing their chops (most of the times at the expense of quality music, I might add). Personally, after this album my interest for the band began to decline until it disappeared completely. Jordan Rudess is a formidable and out-of-this-world keybordist, but musically he never captivated me as Kevin Moore or Derek Sherinian did. Also the sound of the band became significantly heavier, a fact that contributed generously to the rising of Dream Theater as a prime force since the audience there is wider compared to that of progrssive rock.

Hadeon was formed in 2014 by Alessandro Floreani, Fabio Flumiani, Federico Driutti, Gianluca Somma, and Lorenzo Blasutti. They released their sole full length work in December 2017. The band claimed as their influences all of the usual classic '70s prog giants as well as neo-prog bands like Pendragon, Moon Safari, IQ, and prog and metal bands Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Threshold. On the album's concept, per the band website, "the album Sunrise bases its roots in the nature of the human being. By using music as a communicative element, Hadeon identify some of the disorders and illnesses that affect the modern man. Such dramas are manifested as characters that tell their stories to the listener through the songs. Throughout the listening, the songs becomes increasingly gloomy and sad examining the most desperate cases. The intent of Sunrise focuses on the search of oneself through sorrow, on the need and the will to always find the remedy, even in the most extreme cases, to end the distress and return to the light."

Hadeon plays an accessible, melodic prog metal that balances complexity with an ability to be pleasing on the ears. It is not overly heavy, crushing, or mechanical, although they can and do rock. When I first played the album, I didn't really hear any of the bands they listed as influences. To me, they sounded more like a slightly less-heavy, more melodic Pain of Salvation. Those tiptoeing, sustained guitar notes in pattern building up to the full powerful chords and chugs. Even the vocals are not too different from Daniel Gildenlöw though a bit softer perhaps, generally. The songwriting is adventurous, occasionally intense, but more often melodic and soaring in nature. I like how they incorporate softer touches. "Chaotic Picture" begins with gorgeous piano lines before blending them with guitar. "Never Thought" has a cool folk vibe with acoustic guitars and tablas, quite a departure. The 10-minute title track closes the album by opening with up-front fluid basslines and gentle piano before developing through several different motifs and some great lead guitar work. On February 19, 2019, Hadeon announced on social media that the band had ended. It is unfortunate because this was a pretty solid debut. Check it out if you're into Perfect Element-Remedy Lane era Pain of Salvation.

Full of memorable riffs and vibrant guitar and keyboard solos, this album is crafty and focused, there is a generally uplifting feel to it and a recognizable swagger that definitely makes it a more universally appealing work. No big suites, no mind-blowing twists, no excessive point, just a more straightforward and organic playing, which also allows James LaBrie to shine on with one of his better performances in recent years. Each song kind of lives a life of its own and what might amaze you about this release is the fact that there are no weak entries on here - from the melodramatic opener 'Untethered Angel' and the elegiac 7-minute 'Fall Into the Light', to the sharp-edged and mechanical 'S2N' or the more complex arrangements of 'Pale Blue Dot', one might as well be drawn towards catchier numbers like 'Barstool Warrior' and the Van Halen-esque bonus track 'Viper King', this entire album is all about the songs, which are of pretty damn good quality all throughout. 'Distance over Time' is a welcome return to a more familiar but brilliantly-executed rocking sound for Dream Theater, with each band member showcasing why this is one of the most celebrated technical bands worldwide.

Of course, the return of Mike Portnoy does not necessarily imply a return to the band's state prior to the 2010s, since the inventive and eccentric drummer did not redeem any of his production duties (handled exclusively by Petrucci) and it is not directly discernible how involved he has been with the songwriting process here, the direction of the music, or the conceptual side of it all (credited with writing the lyrics of just one of the six non-instrumental songs), which have more recently been dominated by the ideas and vision of John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess. With this in mind, 'Parasomnia' seems to be a direct continuation of the rather fine thread of albums released by Dream Theater between 2011 and 2021, and the similarities are quite tangible. This new work introduces nothing unheard of before - the cathartic and sophisticated songwriting dominates most of the songs on 'Parasomnia', which are quite effective and exhibit some really excellent riffs, mind-boggling guitar solos as well as well-written and memorable melodies, many of which can in reality be traced back to past works. The intricacy is here, the depth and the texture of the music are here, together with the signature dramatic delivery of James LaBrie. With the sole exceptions of 'Bend the Clock' and the big closing epic, 'Parasomnia' is incredibly consistent, enjoyable and generally uplifting, there is a sense of rejuvenation brought along by Portnoy's return, even if the album closely follows the well-known DT template, making it a fine listen and a more guitar-driven offering that probably lacks some of that characteristic flair, ever so poignant on some of the classic albums from the 2000s era of the band.

But back to this one, and yeah, as you'd expect, this is a fantastic compilation! Two discs full of absolutely top quality music. Sure, there's a few omissions that I feel should have been included, but overall, it's a nice career retrospective, perfect for newcomers to the band, or long-time fans who need a reminder of how brilliant these guys are.

From 'Power of the Night', 'Hall of the Mountain King', 'Gutter Ballet' and 'Edge of Thorns', to the likes of 'Morphine Child', 'The Wake of Magellan', 'Chance' and 'One Child', there's no shortage of Savatage classics here. And three newly-recorded acoustic versions of previous hits are a welcome sign that the band were still trying to somewhat maintain active.

This CD package comes with a bonus DVD, which has the classic 'Japan Live '94' concert on it. Originally released on VHS, it was nice to finally be able to own a copy of this. Granted, the sound and picture are quite dated, but the performances are excellent, and it's just great to be able to see a full concert video of the band.

Overall, this is, quite simply, a fantastic compilation. It's definitely a great starting point for newcomers, but also has plenty of value for fans too. A worthy addition to any rock or metal collection!

Lyrically, what we have here is a concept album dealing with the passing of time and the effects it has on us physically and mentally. Bosson said, "This album deals with something everyone can relate to, and no one can escape: the passing of time. We get older, our perspective changes, and we gain some things, and lose others? sometimes the things and ones we love. And we struggle and fight along the way. This album deals with some of the highs and lows we deal with along this journey we all share." Musically, there is a lot going on as here we have a band who can be prog metal, mathcore, pronk, often in the same song and sometimes at the same time. It means the listener can never really relax as they have no idea what is going to happen as the band progresses through the songs. In some ways I am somewhat surprised there are not more longer songs on this set, as only one is above 10 minutes, and only three more above six, as this is music designed to extend and stretch both the listeners and players. It will be no surprise to anyone that this will appeal to fans of Tool, Opeth, Caligula's Horse, Haken, and Porcupine Tree, and if you want music which can be highly melodic and almost laid back at one minute and insanely complex and heavy the next, then this is for you.

"Blast of Silence" takes off with a heavy metal rock sound, with a powerful riff, gravelly vocals, and guitars as screaming as the Zeppelin-esque choruses; an alternative torrent of lava. "Hello Mother" for its ultra-bass rhythm and its heady, belching vocals, à la ALICE IN CHAINS. "The Other Side" is a nervous intro, a repeat performance before moving into an ambient sound, returning to dirty rock worthy of SOUNDGARDEN with a touch of madness behind it. This alternation amplifies the raw, raw edge and gives surprise guest Giuseppe NEGRI's riff the power of percussive hard rock. "16,000 Days" follows, a spacey micro-intro before Lef's delicate phrasing and the track's catchy mid-tempo with a stratospheric chorus. The progressive sound suddenly arrives on the album, ideal for asking the question 'where are we going?' A beautiful, strong, expressive track that ends with an ethereal feel.

"PUTFP" returns to the punchy metal-rock energy with a relative melodic drift; it's in the break that the progressive resurgence suddenly emerges with a haunting, surprising tune that makes us forget the heavy side. "Seven Arms" is a heady southern rock tune, with prominent guitars and vocals reminiscent of Led Zeppelin; astonishing, astounding with rhythm, energy, and modern rock. "Beyond Reach" continues this dark atmosphere with a strident guitar exploration à la RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE contrasting with the passive vocals. A melancholic track where Pat's expressive pad break echoes PINEAPPLE THIEF with its haunting melodic variation. "Mask Becomes The Face" features guest vocals from PORCUPINE TREE's John Wesley on this rhythmic and captivating track, somewhere between haunting and contemplative, for a tearful rock sound with a sparkling solo and a progressively apocalyptic, Dantesque finale of the choir à la 'Dark Side'. "Dive In" is available as a bonus track and is not to be missed, a long, captivating track, based on ambient alternative rock, with a syncopated rhythm and expressive percussion. Lef, languid and raw once again, supported by a melancholic trumpet, the guitars shearing the air with riffs make this the album to listen to.

O.R.K. continues to pour out a rock metal style full of tension, exploration of our desperate world, a schizoid sound enters it, hard with ambient swirls at times. If everything had been at the level of the bonus, this album would be a top of the month. Origin Profilprog.(3.5)

Except it probably wasn't.

Sadly, to my surprise, I've found this a very hard album to get into. I've had it in my playlist for what feels like forever, and I just can't seem to really remember anything from it. Every time I play it I zone out. The playing is fantastic and there are a few rather tasty guitar riffs, likewise, vocalist Torben Askholm has a great voice that really suits the music and its themes. But the overall writing is just so dull, all the songs seem to mesh together and just plod along at the same pace, all sounding similar to each other and thus, making it impossible to really distinguish most of them.

If I had to pick out any highlights, 'In the Comfort of Darkness', 'Hypernosis' and 'Downward Spiral' are all decent enough, but even then, I don't think I could sit and listen to them all the way through without losing interest. And it's a shame, because I know this band are capable of much better than this. But overall, 'Purification' just does nothing for me, and it's fortunate that I'm already familiar with some of the bands later material, otherwise, had this been my first exposure to them, I probably wouldn't bother coming back.