Review Summary: An honest, if flawed, debut by a solid band with a lot to say
Hailing from Houston, Texas comes the third Beatles inspired hard rock band produced by Sam Taylor (with the other two being King's X and Galactic Cowboys.) Much like their brethren King's X, Atomic Opera fuses pop sensibilities with a tough sound, harmonic vocals, gospel lyrics and at times, progressive tendencies. What differs Atomic Opera from King's X and Galactic Cowboys is perhaps their accessibility compared to the latter two bands. While Galactic Cowboys were very much a thrash influenced progressive metal outfit and King's X crafting inventive riffs taking hard rock to its limit, Atomic Opera took a more reserved approach. The band certainly flirts with prog as evidenced in "New Dreams" and "Blackness" and briefly touches metal with "Justice" (which wouldn't sound out of place on Galactic Cowboys' second album "Space in Your Face.") However, their bread and butter is sticking to rather conservative hard rock time signatures with the occasional oddity every now and then. If there's one noticeable flaw on this album, it is inconsistent production throughout the entire listen. Despite being an accomplished producer having worked with King's X on their seminal records "Out of The Silent Planet" and "Gretchen Goes to Nebraska", Sam Taylor perhaps didn't close enough gaps this time around as the instruments are overpowering at times (most noticeably during the chorus of "War Drum.") King's X are seen as your favorite band's favorite band, underground heroes of hard rock/heavy metal and Galactic Cowboys are perhaps known as the heavier cousin of King's X with a more humorous tone, but what should Atomic Opera's lasting legacy be? While not the flashiest or most innovative, Atomic Opera should be recognized as one of the more honest bands of the Texas rock community who more than held their own against their contemporaries and deserve a second listen.
Recommended tracks:
Joyride
I Know Better
December
New Dreams
