Review Summary: Heroic progressive metal from a master shredder! Endless cosmos, creation mysteries and solos that send you straight to another dimension!
With all this environmental and social calamity, with individuality being reduced to consumption to satisfy basic and imposed needs, stripped of heroes to lead our dream beyond the skies for the light-speed revelations of humanity’s emancipation in the endless cosmos.
But the hero still lives. And his name is Lawrence Wallace.
Lawrence Wallace is a Philadelphia-based guitar virtuoso, a zealous disciple of the art of shred made his prominent public appearance in the early 2010s dropping an extensive compilation of his works in 2017 which can now be easily enjoyed on Bandcamp and has been thoroughly productive ever since.
Latest 4 track EP ‘Life Force’ is as truthful to progressive metal tradition as one could, with punchy riffs, sensational harmonies, and - what all the fans came here for - endless breathtaking guitar solos, bringing even the most rigid imagination to life with its maestro performance. Beginning its journey with light-speed dive into the most dangerous and yet fascinating phenomena of the endless cosmos (‘Event Horizon’) rushing through the unimaginable mysteries of immaterial dimensions (‘Entelgament’ & ‘The Spiritual World’) and triumphantly ending wrapping around the enigma of creation itself (‘The Life Force’).
Technical-wise, this EP leaves us wanting for a bit more precise mix since solos being the essence here, are somewhat drowning in the guitar riffs being there mainly to support those astonishing guitar solos. Nevertheless, all four songs are played flawlessly, with every note being razor sharp, melodies entangling beautifully into ethereal soundscapes.
All in all, ‘Life Force’ is an eloquent piece of metal music for those with a passion for virtuoso guitar work and pure, thrilling emotion.
