I know it's technically November, but things got a little hairy and this didn't come out until now. Just understand that I listened to these last month, alright? So, carrying on my journey of five-year jumps, I'm checking out a handful from 2005 now, and unsurprisingly, it's a lot of power metal. At this point, the genre was winding down, but plenty of bands were still putting out some interesting music. However, before we get to that, let's start off in a completely different genre:
Scott Stapp - The Great DivideWhen Creed broke up, their singer Scott decided to shift into a solo career built upon the success of his former band. I remember when it came out back in the day, and I think I heard a song or two, but for whatever reason, I never got around to the album itself until now. While I certainly love the band Creed quite a bit, I find this album to be a little lifeless compared to those, despite being some decent hard rock.
To say that this sounds like Creed is pretty moot; it was intended to be a continuation of that sound. The major difference is how the songs lean more into atmosphere and ambiance, giving them an ethereal quality, often making me think of U2. Stapp himself sounds great, wailing and yarling as usual, though he does get a little harsher on some songs, like "Reach Out." The songwriting itself feels kinda of basic, though. Creed might not have been the most complex band, but there were touches here and there that teased more out of the songs, and I don't get that as much here. Of course, there are a few curious moments that shake things up, like the talky style on the verses of of "Justify," and the back-and-forth between electric and acoustic guitars on the title track, but most of it is some pretty standard post-grunge or alternative rock.
This is by no means a bad album, just underwhelming. It could also be that, since I have massive nostalgia for Creed's first three albums, it's hard to measure this against that. Maybe if I'd listened to this over and over back in the day, I'd feel differently about it. In any case, this is pretty much exactly what one would expect from such an album. I liked the title track and "Let Me Go," and the rest was fine enough, but overall, I can understand why this one didn't do quite as well, as it does feel like an emulation of a style rather than a continuation of it, resulting in a lukewarm effort.
Black Majesty - Silent CompanyWhen I checked out this band two years ago, I thought their debut album was decent, if rough around the edges. Their sound was an interesting blend of European and US power metal styles, but in the two years leading up to their sophomore, they've clearly shifted over to the Europeans, particularly the high speed, double-kicking fury of the likes of Edguy and Gamma Ray.
Right off, the production is a big improvement, as the band sounds much more unified. John Cavaliere still has his Tate-like wails, but he sounds much more well-rounded here, Pavel Konvalinka continues to pound the tar out of his drum kit, and the rest of the band provide plenty of riffs and melodies. The energy remains fairly high, kicking off with "Dragon Reborn," and carries on through with tracks like "Firestorm," "New Horizons," and "Never Surrender." They do shake it up a little, such as the mid-tempo "Darkened Room," and the folky power ballad cover of "Six Ribbons." The main portion of the album ends with the seven-minute epic "A Better Way to Die," and the bonus track "Chasing Time" has some good energy.
If there is a problem, it's that there really is nothing new here. By 2005, the competition in the power metal space was getting pretty intense, and this album feels a few years behind everyone else. Still, this is definitely an improvement over their debut, so I'm hoping things will continue to improve as I work through the discography. As for the album itself, it's decent power metal, with solid execution, with no bad tracks, really.
Masterplan - AeronaticsOh hey, another follow up from that same article! While the band does pick up a new keyboardist and bassist, things are business as usual with Masterplan carrying on their straight-ahead power metal style.
The main difference I noticed was with that new keyboardist, though. Axel Mackenrott is much more prominent than Janne Wirman was on their debut, pushing the band in more of a symphonic direction. Honestly, this feels like the half-way point between classic Helloween and Sonata Artica, but that's not a bad place to be. The songs seem to focus more on personal relationships and introspective tones than standard empowering topics. However, this does allow Jorn to really play up the melodrama, as his crooning style is more prominent on this album (and is honestly better for it).
"Crimson Rider" starts things off well as a burst of high speed, and "Wounds" also carry that energy as well. They also shake it up with some mid-tempo stompers, with "Back for My Life," and "Dark from the Dying" being the highlights. However, the song that stood out the most is the massive 9-minute closer "Black in the Burn." With all the tempo shifts, it felt like a Helloween or Gamma Ray style prog epic, and was quite a delight to hear! Overall, it's a solid album that might not be a massive step forward but a rather a refinement of the kind of band they want to be, making it a pretty satisfying listen.
Excalion - Primal ExhaleWhile I've been aware of this band, I've never taken the time to give them a serious listen. Once again, the Top 5 articles give me the opportunity to check out the debut of a new band that I've heard good things about. Hailing from Finland, they offer some pretty typical, synth-heavy power metal, like Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica.
Right off, the production is a little packed, giving the songs a slight muddy feel, as the wall of sound blends the instruments a little, and singer Jarmo Pääkkönen gets a little buried from time to time. However, the band clearly has a very lush sound, as band-leader Jarmo Myllyvirta really works his keyboards and synths to give these songs a lot of atmospheric, with some occasional symphonic vibes. The rest of the band plays their parts well, but I don't know if they've quite gelled as a band yet. It also doesn't help that some of the lyrics are clunky, as they don't have a natural English flow (which is common when it's not a band's native tongue), but Jarmo delivers them well. As for the songwriting, I do think they're leaning a little into Sonata Arctica's progginess and atmosphere, but they haven't quite ironed out the kinks. However, their solo trade-offs and neo-classical noodling is on point, and none of the songs felt like a slog to get through.
Overall, I liked the faster songs better, such as "Reality Bends," "Stage of Lies," and "My Legacy," as their energy was able to get through the muddy production better. I look forward to see where the band builds from here, as I think they have the right pieces. It's not a bad debut album, providing some decent power metal, but there's definitely room for growth.
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