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Review Summary: p r o g t a s t i c This progressive metal album exists. What type of prog metal? Redemption meets Circus Maximus stylings in a twisted fantasy of guitar solos, and mouth wetting synths. If that doesn’t already get your pants a quiver I will further elaborate. Or rather, the band will elaborate further, with enough showmanship in feeling vocals and tension building strings to paint theatric sonics. Cheesy vocal tactics are no problem when the overall sound is this warm and inviting, like coming home to a fireplace.
Terrifyingly tuneful tracks build up and take their time building up. Observe the extremely old school, monolithic pieces. The well catered bravado and tight playing still build into tight choruses, but the experience getting there is mysterious and a tunnel of love — you just want to get lost in it. There’s clear, delicate care in painting the walls with odes to past giants, though oozing enough personality to remain very cemented in the here and now. For example, certain circus-like segments bring generous spoonfuls of wonkiness.
While this album falls into the trap of the songs blending into each other, Horizon’s End wear body armour. They look sturdy from track to track, with a commanding vocal performance, and many moments that lead to questioning what time signature is leading the way. As similar as the songs are, the overarching experience is of a twisty-turny maze of never-ending enjoyment. While it’s not the biggest head banger (don’t worry, you’ll have your riffs), The Great Destroyer has a lot going for it. The lyrics touch on the horrors of war and the effects on children, which remains an all too familiar, and important topic. This is done among neoclassical instrumentations, perhaps not virtuosic, but nonetheless effortlessly engaging and technical. This one gets a big thumbs up and is a surprising 2023 hit.
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Album Rating: 4.0
I was told to repost this review. Once again, this album is worth your attention.
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This seems pretty interesting so I'll have to add it to my list. Very nice review as always Pizza! :D
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Album stream:
http://horizonsendband.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-destroyer
Kudos for reviewing this, pos, although this appears to be a concept album, and nothing is mentioned therein.
Instrumentally, this band is insane (some of its members have a highly recommended prog/power metal outfit called Wardrum).
Imho however, the vocals, although adequate, have an appreciable margin for improvement, falling into the country's norm. Also the sound work could be heavier.
Unlike our Italian neighbours that double everything foreign in their mother tongue and are twice as lacking when they utter English, they have world class power/progressive metal singers like Fabio Leone or Morby or Terence Holler (Eldritch).
We, on the other hand, are well exposed to the English language, but fall behind in enunciation. The only Greek metal singers I know who got past the said barrier in flying colours is John Koutselinis from Biomechanical, but he lives in the UK, and Antonis Vailas who sings at this year's Triumpher album, so go figure…
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
You got me, I hate the term “concept album”. Every album ever made was built around some concept so I don’t understand the need for the term. I thought the vocals were great, generic maybe, but solid. The production likewise didn’t bother me.
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^^Agreed, the album is a no brainer 3.5+, but every time I listen to a power/progressive metal band from where I come from, these thoughts come back to me.
As for the "concept" issue, most of the time, an album title comes from a single song with the lyrics of the remainder of the track list being loosely related at best. In concept albums though, both the lyrics and the music are tidally locked around a main idea, and when both are done right, magic entails.
| | | Album Rating: 3.8
Yeah, I figured 'concept album' described a record that had a much more concrete story/theme that the lyrical narratives firmly establish. Something like Mercy Falls.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Y’all have described concept albums well, yet I feel the term “concept album” is more of an attention-grabbing, fluffy way of selling a product than anything. Like how a chip bag might say: now with 100% more BBQ flavour, no artificial flavours, etc.
| | | Album Rating: 3.8
Oh it certainly can be, as some concepts are pretty loose/the narrative threads are so thin that you really can't justify it. I think, for example, Blind Guardian's Beyond the Red Mirror was meant to have a concept? But none of it clicks, and there's this random monologue in the lyrics booklet... went completely over my head.
A full-blooded concept album walks the walk and talks the talk. Avantasia's Metal Operas are good, easy examples.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Avantasia is a great example, agreed. Some bands deserve the designation more. Amaranthe was said to have concept albums once upon a time, but I never thought they deserved the title lol
| | | Album Rating: 3.8
Yeah it's very dependent upon how much effort the band puts into selling the concept. Otherwise, like you said, it's just some window dressing.
Parius put out a pretty fun and narratively solid concept album last year!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Man, I already forgot that Parius album. 2022 was stacked
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
nice review. nice album. everything is nice here. nice work.
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"They Will Rise Again" is so tight and I really appreciate that the keyboard player maintains the Kevin Moore/Oleg Smirnoff ethic - keyboards work for the song and not the other way around - throughout the album.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Absolutely. I often find keyboards in prog so cheesy but they sound so good here
@ bellovv: nice ;)
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