 |
: : To Travel For Evermore : :
Ah, music so very much to my liking. Yea,
I’m a lover of the melodic and symphonic progressive rock in the lines of Yes, Moody
Blues, Spock’s Beard, Jadis, IQ, Pendragon, Clepsydra, etc., but I’m also a metal
head from “way back when”.
This second CD by the most excellent Wuthering Heights is once again a great example
of powerful metal playing choreographed around symphonic progressive rock. And in
this bands case, the ROCK part is not only well deserved but excellent on all
counts.
In this second release, the band is much more mature and it shows in both the songs
composition and in how it translates into the actual played music.
Ripping guitars, monster drumming, fluid keyboards, a massive bass line that has
this reviewer doing my famous (or is it infamous) air guitar routine with each
listen. Hey the looks of the other drivers when flying down I-85 around Charlotte,
head banging, driving with my knees, and just grooving is worth the price of
admission for this freak.
The music on this CD is not riffing just for riffs sake. The songs flow smoothly
and transition from song to song and within each song in a manner than non-lovers of
prog styled metal might actually “get!”
The songs on this CD address personal madness, a search for Light, concerns over a
life lived wrong, and the wonderful A Sinner’s Confession, comprised of four
distinct parts telling a story of a life (lives?) lived without hope.
This four part brilliant piece of music is sonically exhausting and lyrically
fulfilling. A story of a sinner in the truest form where enjoying all of the Seven
Deadly Sins was the way of the protagonist’s world. Standing at the end of his
days, knowing that God is the ultimate judge.
Hang onto your hat as A Sinner’s Confession grabs you from the opening notes and
only lets go at the end. “Can I hope for forgiveness?” “Do you recall your darkest
son?” “My name is Mankind”. Heady stuff folks, and the music slays!
There is one song on this CD I have to specifically bring up. It’s “Battle of the
Seasons”. This is totally instrumental and brilliant. The song is about how the
earth moves from season to season and without lyrics you can hear each season rising
to power and then slowly loosing life to the next. A perfect example of how if done
correctly a non-lyrical song can speak volumes.
Okay, bottom line; this one just nails the progmetal head in me. It rocks, it
rolls, it has soul, and it has power and strength. It is in your face without being
over the top. It is chugga chugga and it’s so much more.
Not for the wimpy, but nothing like Blind Guardian, Rhapsody, or even Stratovarious.
Much more in the vein of Symphony X.
Buy this CD & check them out at
www.wuthering-heights.dk for much more info on this and all the other CD’s by
this most excellent progmetal band.
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars
Reviewed By: Stephen Ellis
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
Within - 1999
Evermore - 2002
Madding Crowd - 2004
|
|
