Fireforce March On

by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

If anyone ever creates a power metal sub-genre called “Combat Metal” Belgium’s Fireforce will be leading the charge. Until that happens, the debut full-length release from the band will have to be considered pure unadulterated power metal, with the emphasis on power. Intense, at times brutal and 100% in-your-face, March On rocks.

Fireforce was founded in late 2008 by members of Double Diamond, Self Inflicted and Grinning Ghoul. Earning an excellent reputation as a live act, Fireforce was quickly signed to a record deal after putting together their first EP. The then band went through the usual new group teething pains and personnel changes before settling into their current lineup. Writing songs with a military/war theme seems to be the band’s specialty, obviously influenced by the mighty Iron Maiden’s love of historical subjects and references.

Fronted by ex-Double Diamond vocalist Flype, Fireforce pulls no punches. Flype’s powerful growl and decent range are ideal for the band’s martial style – he sings turned up to 11 throughout the album and his enthusiasm easily overcomes any negatives in his performance. The guitar duo of Erwin Suetens (Double Diamond) and Steve Deleu (ex-Gwyllion) is a fine one, dishing out intricate and well-constructed rhythm lines with tons of energy. The bottom end is ably dished out by Metalpat on bass and Tom Heijnenon (Judas Rising, Conquistador) drums. Both are solid metal musicians and work well together as the backbone of the music. Guest guitar soloist Constantine (Mystic Prophecy) provides some amazing solos – the icing on the cake (or the gunpowder in the barrel).

The booming World War II inspired “Coastal Battery” opens the CD with true power metal brutal intensity that sets the tone for the remaining tracks. Heavy guitar riffs and big drums open “The Only Way,” carrying the energy forward. This track features some nice guitar harmonies during the main break. A moody guitar line opens “Firestorm,” which quickly becomes a true power metal guitar showcase with a brilliant solo. The band borrows a page from Iron Maiden’s Powerslave and goes back to ancient Egypt to tell the tale of “Horus (Bringer Of Order).” The historical theme continues on with the band’s account of the Flemish vs. French Battle of Courtrai (aka The Battle Of The Golden Spurs) in “1302 – Battle For Freedom.” Great drum and bass work carry this one forward. “Moonlight Lady” wraps the first half of the album with an almost early Metallica speed feel, but the vocals seem forced and the song does not really fit with the rest of the album.

Amazing guitar work opens “Annihilation,” while the vocal and drum lines of the song conjure images of old Anthrax-style speed metal. “Fly Arrow Fly (Crécy 1346)” recounts the battle-changing impact of the English longbow at the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years’ War, while “Mona Lisa” exposes the life and times of Leonardo da Vinci (Leo would have enjoyed the precision of the guitars). The next 2 songs are solid kick-ass pro-heavy metal anthems in varying styles – each different enough to let the band’s true talents shine. The album is wrapped up in grand style by the powerful instrumental “Metal Rages On.”

Nicely recorded and neatly engineered to bring out the best of the band, March On runs the gamut from explosive power metal to the obligatory semi-ballad. The band performs with intensity and teamwork, and sounds like they have a great time while doing so. With a strong sense of melody and structure, Fireforce rips out one solid track after the other, each one different enough to keep the listener engaged without allowing the band to fall into a rut. The only track that seems a bit out of place is “Moonlight Lady.”

March On is a truly powerful release and another strong debut in a year that has seen a number of excellent first releases. Fans of power metal or old school heavy metal (especially if they are closet history buffs) will enjoy this album, and March On will put Fireforce on the metal map to stay. These guys were truly “Born To Play Metal.”

Highly recommended!

March On will be released by 7hard Records on 25 March 2011.

Genre: Power Metal

Band:
Flype – Vocals
Erwin Suetens – Guitars
Steve Deleu – Guitars
Metalpat – Bass
Tom Heijnen – Drums
Guest musician: Constantine (guitars)

Track Listing:
1. Coastal Battery
2. The Only Way
3. Firestorm
4. Horus (Bringer Of Order)
5. 1302 – Battle For Freedom
6. Moonlight Lady
7. Annihilation
8. Fly Arrow Fly (Crécy 1346)
9. Mona Lisa
10. Hold Your Ground
11. Born To Play Metal
12. Metal Rages On

Label: 7Hard

Website: http://www.fireforce.be , http://www.myspace.com/fireforcemetal

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10

Silver Lake Silver Lake

by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

Rimini, Italy – the seaside resort known as the “Miami of Europe” and home of filmmaker Federico Fellini – is now also home to some American style progressive metal courtesy of the five-piece called Silver Lake. Filled with great vocals, lush keyboards, big hooky guitar riffs, Silver Lake’s self-titled debut is a treat for any fan of progressive metal.

Originally formed in 2003 as a cover band called Exodiain and playing tunes by Dream Theater, Deep Purple, Angra and others, Silver Lake grew through numerous personnel changes and decided to start writing their own material. Having settled on a lineup, the band went to work and produced one of the stronger debut albums in recent memory. Silver Lake is 8 tracks of solid progressive metal, nicely recorded and well performed.

Davide Bertozzi fronts the band. He has a high range voice and uses it well whether singing lead or adding backing tracks. He stays within his range and is always clear and understandable despite a touch of Italian accent. Giovanni Matichecchia plays a very good guitar. He can blast out rapid-fire intense solos and classically inspired heavy riffs, but has a fine feel for the music and can deftly turn down his intensity to match the mood. Riccardo Fabbri keyboards are a great counterpoint to Matichecchia’s guitar work and he seems equally comfortable whether playing background or taking the lead. Guest shredder Simone Mularoni (Empyrios) makes a fine teammate throughout. The one-two punch provided by Luigi Rignanese (bass) and Andrea Urbinati (drums) is one of the finest in progressive metal today. Both blend nicely into the background while anchoring the music, but both also step into the spotlight on numerous occasions – nice to hear some good bass soloing!

“Before The Storm” opens with some subtle keyboards and quickly switches to big guitars, bass and drums and features numerous prog metal tempo changes. This track shows what Silver Lake has to offer – good songwriting, solid vocals, catchy rhythms and outstanding musicianship. “Help Me To Fight The Rain” brings much more speed and aggression to the front, along with a very kicky groove, big chorus and some impressive use of the spoken word in the introduction.

The instrumental track “Break” dials it down while opening with some awesome bass and keyboard riffs before layering in some choppy guitars. This one definitely has a Dream Theater / Coheed and Cambria feel to it but is not a copy of either, and it gives all the band members a chance to show their chops. Big drums and a slow rock groove dominate “Life,” but this track is a vocal showpiece featuring guest singer Michele Luppi (Vision Divine, Los Angeles, Heaven).

Reaching back to their cover band roots, Silver Lake has retooled Skid Row’s “Slave To The Grind” and given it some unique twists (double bass, keyboard solo), and it works very well for them although Bertozzi doesn’t quite have Sebastian Bach’s range or power. Somehow they’ve managed to increase the intensity of an all time classic, but Bertozzi’s accent is a bit more pronounced than on some of the other tracks. “Holy Affinity” has a very European sound to it, filled with rich vocal harmonies, massive drums and many progressive tempo changes. Fine piano work is the high point of the mellow and poignant ballad “Meet You Again.” Great pianos again open the band’s eponymous track “Silver Lake.” This song seems to be Rush meets Coheed, and the band seems to go all out. Great drums, massive guitar solos, big bass, fine vocals – progressive metal at it finest.

Silver Lake is a very good album, and Silver Lake is a very good band. They work together like a veteran band and have obviously have put much effort and care into all aspects of the album. The band takes production and arrangement credits and has worked closely with Michele Luppi, Simone Mularoni and Gabriele Ravaglia at Italy’s famed Fear Studio.

If you like progressive metal Silver Lake will not disappoint. Solid musical talent, good songwriting and fine engineering make this one a contender for almost any of 2011′s “best” lists despite a January release. This is a band with a bright future, so get in on the ground floor and pick up one of the better debut albums ever. Very highly recommended!

Silver Lake will be released by the 7Hard label on 14 January 2011.

Genre: Progressive Metal

Band:
Davide Bertozzi – vocals
Luigi Rignanese – bass
Riccardo Fabbri – keyboards
Giovanni Matichecchia – guitars
Andrea Urbinati – drums
Guest musicians: Michele Luppi (vocals on “Life”), Simone Mularoni (guitars)

Track Listing:
1. Before The Storm
2. Help Me To Fight The Rain
3. Break
4. Life
5. Slave To The Grind
6. Holy Affinity
7. Meet You Again
8. Silver Lake

Label: SG Records / 7Hard Records

Web site: www.silverlake5.com; www.7hard.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10

Crystal Tears Generation X

by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

If you are into power metal, then this release is for you. Generation X is the second release from the Greek power metal quartet Crystal Tears, and it is about a pure a display of power metal as one can imagine. Not pretending to be anything but power metal, Crystal Tears belts out track after track of intense and aggressive music loaded with all of the standard power metal trademarks and a huge amount of melody.

Formed back in 1997 in Thessaloniki, Greece, Crystal Tears had three demo releases and one official release under their belts before joining forces with Dutch power metal vocalist Ian Parry (Elegy, Infinity Overture, Ayreon) in 2008. This seems to be a winning combination. Parry’s voice is very appropriate for the genre – strong and edgy with a decent range. Like many power metal singers he has one of those extreme voices that you’ll either love or hate. Guitarist Dimitris swings a fine axe – laying down massive hooks and dynamic riffs while managing to be delicate when called for – and he is a good soloist with a deft touch and a sense of propriety. Stratos Dionisopoulos is a great metal bassist, equally as comfortable laying down simple backing bass or big bubbling bass passages. Chrisafis Tantanozis is a solid drummer whether doing manic double bass or simple cymbal fills.

The album launches with “Inner Spirit” and pulls no punches. It is filled with big guitars, pounding drums and booming bass and solid vocals – totally intense but somehow still melodic. This is the trademark of Crystal Tears, and is consistent from song to song. “Heroes” is a real energetic track with an amazing solo that highlights Dimitris Goutziamanis’ massive guitar chops. The intro to “Crystal Tears” is one of the few slow and relaxed passages on the CD and proves that the band has the capability to play slow and emotional if they choose to do so. “Rock Until We Fall” is the band’s best track and embodies their unpretentious in-your-face attitude. It gives Parry the chance to push his vocal range to the max and give each band member the opportunity to show off.

Generation X is well engineered and produced with all elements falling into place smoothly. Instruments and vocals are well balanced and everything is clear. The mix does have a bit of the typical power metal sterility, but this is not inappropriate for the genre. The song structures are simple and basic as the band forgoes many of the flourishes and frills of other power metal acts, and provides straightforward and refreshing melodic metal.

Crystal Tears is a very good power metal band, laying down the heavy stuff without apology. Musically they are tight, polished and precise. The one flaw with Generation X is the lack of musical variation. Every track pretty much grabs the listener by the throat and throttles him to death without mercy or compromise. A slower track or two would have provided a welcome respite from the relentless pounding and made the album musically complete. As it is, Generation X can wear you out by the end – and unless you are a SERIOUS power metal fanatic the constant pummeling is too much of a good thing.

If you are a power metal fan, you can’t go wrong with Crystal Tears. Their music is simple, direct, melodic pure power metal – a shining example of the genre at its most refined. If you are hunting for music that pushes the envelope or evolves the style, look away.

Genre: Power Metal

Band:
Ian Parry (vocals)
Chrisafis Tantanozis (drums)
Stratos Dionisopoulos (bass)
Dimitris Goutziamanis (guitars)

Track Listing:
1. Inner Spirit
2. Heroes
3. Nightmare Serenade
4. Empty Paradise
5. Crystal Tears
6. In The Beginning
7. Rock Until We Fall
8. Predators
9. Flesh N Bone
10. The X Generation

Label: 7hard Records

Website: http://www.myspace.com/crystaltearsgr

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.5/10 (8.5 if you can deal with the intensity)

Edge of Forever Another Paradise

by Keith Schwier
Staff Writer

Another Paradise , the new album from Italian rockers Edge Of Forever, is a colorful display of wildly chaotic instrumental fireworks, balanced against an abundance of nicely written choruses and truly impassioned vocals. Hard rock can certainly come across as sounding “grand” in certain circumstances, emphasis being placed on ambitious song structures and bombastic embellishments. Certainly this album is no exception, but what you get here is an almost regal brand of melodic metal that delights in its various eccentricities, but at the same time doesn’t stray into progressive rock overkill. Yes, there are multi-layered vocals and sweeping keyboard solos, but the rhythm foundations adhere to standard 4/4 time. In other words, this is lavish music that you can still tap your foot to.

This is the third release for Alessandro Del Vecchio and company, and there have been some internal shifts within the band. First off, Del Vecchio pulls triple duty, providing keyboards, lead vocals, and manning the producer’s chair all while mixing, editing, and recording the album on the side. Surely he didn’t find much sleep during the course of this project. His singing ability is admirable and he doesn’t do a bad job, providing range when necessary and never trying to go beyond what he’s capable of. There’s a palpable sense of James Christian Sahara-era House of Lords in his vocal delivery, but strangely enough, a little hint of Jon Bon Jovi too. For proof, listen to the opening lines of “Distant Voices” and you’ll swear you’re hearing New Jersey ‘s second favorite son coming out of the speakers.

There are also guest vocal appearances from Carsten Schulz (Evidence One), Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth), and last but not least, former band vocalist Bob Harris, all of whom contribute mightily to the overall textures of Another Paradise. Walter Caliaro steps into the role as principal axe slinger while Nik Mazzucconi handles bass duties, creating a wicked rhythm section with crazed drummer Francesco Jovino (of U.D.O. fame), who seems inspired with every fill he unloads on the drumset.

The 10 tracks comprising this record never stray into the realms of dizzying speed metal or the lumbering paces of syrupy balladry, instead the band consistently dishes out a helping platter of mid-tempo chugging anthems that makes the speakers throb with a marching intensity. Things speed up a little more than normal for the closing track “Against the Wall,” full of eerie Dokken-esque passages and shimmering guitar work that sets it apart as one of the album’s highlights. “What I’ve Never Seen,” with its abundance of gorgeous piano flourishes, airy synth pads, and rich simmering vocals set against a soothing tribal drum cadence, is the big ballad on the disc and a welcome breather to the harder-edged material.

Possibly alienating some of the more metal purists, standout track “I Won’t Call You” boasts the most contagious hook on the entire record and is the closest thing Edge Of Forever gets to a power-pop anthem (akin to Dream Theater’s “I Walk Beside You), but musical adventure seekers please not fear, it boasts a running time of nearly six minutes and features plenty of solo interplay between the guitars and keyboards. Suffice to say, it’s not your standard three minute walk-in-the-park made for radio.

The album does have a strangely curious moment, as the band has decided to take a stab at covering “What A Feeling” from the film “Flashdance” and reimagining it as more of an intense power-chord arena ready rocker, letting it bubble over with stacked vocals, prominent guitar lines, and even a brief synthesizer solo. Sure to raise some eyebrows, the track stands as a testament to having some extreme guts in wanting to shock and delight one’s fan base, or maybe underneath it all these guys just possess a warped sense of humor and we’re not in on the inside joke.

Overall, Another Paradise is an exciting release from an immensely talented European rock band. The arrangements are tight, the production is pristine, and the song quality is consistently high. The music stays adventurous but never drifts into the area of self-indulgent instrument wanking. Recommended for anyone who’s a fan of majestic hard rock that’s tinged with a shade or two of progressive rock elements.

Label: 7Hard

Tracks:
1) Distant Voices
2) Another Paradise
3) Lonely
4) Edge of Life
5) I Won’t Call You
6) My Revenge
7) What I’ve Never Seen
What A Feeling
9) Eye of the Storm
10) Against the Wall

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10