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:: Review ::
Prymary is the eponymous debut of a new progressive metal band from LA, and I
have to say, it came as a pleasant surprise. Granted, it's not flawless, by
any means, but then again you don't hear that many DT fans talk about "When Day
and Dream Unite" quite the same way they talk about "Scenes From A Memory".
Lets pause on
that train of thought to get the most obvious positives out of the way, namely the first thing that grabs you is the awesome work done by Mattias Noren
on all the graphics. Next, as soon as you hit play it becomes abundantly clear
this is a very professional recording unlike so much of the homegrown stuff we
hear these days. To my ears, the only production slip was the overall drum
sound, and in particular the snare, which sounds a bit thin for heavy,
powerful music, but hey, each to their own taste at the mixing console.
Getting back on track, a major drawback for these guys is that the Dream
Theater comparisons are inevitable in other regards as well. Particularly the
keyboards, handled quite nimbly by Smiley Sean, are so elaborately crafted
after the Sherinian sound that at times it seems as if they are actually using
the exact same Korg sound banks! Mike Disarro's vocals sound like a true
amalgam of James Labrie and Ted Leonard from Enchant, and the songs have
structures somewhat reminiscent of Dream Theater, in a sort of Images & Words
meets Falling Into Infinity kind of way. One important difference is that
Prymary chose to let the bass roar loud, punchy and way up in the mix. In
fact, James Sherwoods hyperkinetic basslines are delivered with the same
attitude and swagger that Mike Portnoy brings to his drums, propelling more
than supporting rhythmically. Of course, Chris Quirarte has carefully studied
many a Portnoy fill and syncopation (plus I hear a lot of Peart in there as
well), and the only player I thought had a truly distinct voice is Sean
Entrikin, who is certainly no Petrucci doppelganger. He's obviously put in the
hours needed to play, and shred, but he's got his own bag of licks.
Most of the lyrics are handled by Quirarte, and his themes are pretty standard
for this sort of music, with a tendency towards the usual clichés, though I
doubt this will be a problem for Prymary, at least judging by the sales of
bands like The Flower Kings or Ayreon. Musically, I think the first 6 tracks
flow well, with only a few minor compositional flubs and arrangement details
that could have helped to respect the integrity of the groove, but nothing
major. Its only when the band begins to delve into longer songs that they run
into more serious troubles, and nowhere more so that on the obligatory epic
"Roads Of Fire" they unwisely chose to close the album.
Granted, I admit I am in a minority among prog aficionados when I state that
length, while certainly advantageous in certain facets of life, is not
necessarily desirable in a rock song. I also agree there are a number of
exceptions, and brilliant epics such as "The Gates Of Delirium", "Shine On You
Crazy Diamond" and "All Of The Above" instantly spring to mind. But why not
stick to your own obvious strengths, which in the case of Prymary are many,
and forego the ridiculous conceit that prog albums need epic-length tunes to
qualify as prog? In my opinion, "Roads Of fire" really wears out its welcome,
and about 8 minutes into it I found myself wishing they'd simply added 3 or 4
shorter tracks instead of stitching together their own half-hour Frankenstein.
So, what is the final verdict?
Perhaps some people may find my words to be a bit harsh, but I honestly
believe these guys only need to have the right amount of patience and
determination to hone their song-writing skills, in order to develop their own
sonic personality and distance themselves from the DT formula. All the other
ingredients are already there, and as soon as they get the songs just right,
they could really ignite. As it stands, this is still a very fine piece of
work, and a debut the band should be very proud of.
Definitely worth checking out! Go to their website and support these guys in
their artistic endeavors!
Rating: 7 Keyboards.
Reviewer: Luis Nasser
Visit the Artist Website:
PRYMARY
:: Discography ::
Prymary - 2002
You can purchase this CD from:
PRYMARY
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