While I was able to do a good summary for 2008, I'm back to doing reviews for 2013. Sadly, I don't have much to share for the year in my playlist below; it's a gap I plan to fill as I carry on with this blog. However, I do want to draw special attention to Dimensionaut by Sound of Contact. It's a fascinating sci-fi prog rock concept album that was a highlight. While its the group's only album, members of it would go on to form groups like In Continuum and eMolecule, both of which I've featured before. Now, onto some reviews!
After enjoying one of their albums in the past, I knew I needed to at least give their debut a shot when the opportunity came around, and this article certainly provided one. Unsurprisingly, it's another solid block of melodic rock a la Journey or Asia, with typical modern production.
Right off, singer Robbie LaBlanc dominates the mix, coming front and center. However, he has a great voice for this kind of music, singing the sentimental lyrics with confidence and ease. While the guitars do a good job of holding down the rhythms, its the keyboards by Daniel Flores that really provide the 80s ambience and energy, providing all kinds of reverby synths to augment the emotions behind the songs. That being said, there are some decent guitar solos through out. It's no wonder Frontiers Records has hung on to this band for all their albums, as it's exactly the kind of stuff the specialize in.
The album starts with some good rockers in "Road to Nowhere" and "Another World," before dipping a little in energy, with "Eternally" filling the ballad slot on the album. Things pick up again with "One Soul" and "Bottom of My Heart," and it carries through to the end of the album. I know that AOR like this is pretty straight-forward, without any surprises, but this album is a high quality example of what the genre can provide.
Magnus Karlsson has been in the business since the late 90s, and quickly got picked up to work on a variety of projects for Frontier's Records, playing, composing, and producing all kinds of albums. He also joined Primal Fear in the late 2000s and has been with them ever since. However, this is the only project that bears his name, and the debut album falls in nicely for this article. Drawing upon a quite the list of vocal talent, it shifts back and forth between symphonic rock and metal.
My first thought listening to these is the Allan / Lande project he worked on for Frontiers, going for full sentimental lyrics, with melodic hooks, symphonic arrangements, and providing sonic platforms for the vocalists to soar over. Speaking of which, this is quite the lineup, drawing from hard rock and AOR to power metal and more. Magnus does sing a few as well, and he's not bad, showing that there's more to him than just shredding guitars and bombastic arrangements. If there is a problem, it's the lyrics, as they go for a lot of vague empowerment and drama, sometimes making the songs feel a little inter-changeable.
Still, that could be just nit-picking. Anyone interested in rock and metal backed by lush arrangements and an incredible lineup of singers will be satisfied. The standout songs for me include "Higher" (sounding very Primal Fear with Ralf on the mic), "Our Time Has Come" with Mark Boals, "Last Tribe," and "Dreamers & Hunters," with singer Michael Andersson sounding a bit like Jorn Lande! Perhaps not anything earth-shattering, but it's a fun collection of songs showcasing Magnus Karlsson's abilities as a songwriter and producer.
So after checking out the first two Haken albums in previous Anniversary Articles, I had to carry on with their third album. While it's not as much of a concept album as the others, it does focus on the theme of overcoming obstacles and personal challenges, as well as the dangers of greed and ambition. However, they have definitely retained their peculiar blend of prog metal and quirky jazz.
While at first, it certainly feels like more of the same, but there are some subtle differences that does set this one apart. Reading up on the album, the band mentioned how this one was a much more collaborative effort, and I think it really shows. The playing is especially tight, and every song feels pretty meaningful and distinct. This definitely feels like a band really coming together to make music. There also is a lot more overlapping vocal parts, with different voices singing different lines. However, the wild riffing and spontaneous transitions remain very intact, letting the band flex their technical muscles without the songs feeling too long or flashy.
This album got Haken a ton of attention, putting them on the progheads radar and helping them become one of the higher profile prog metal bands out there. While the whole album does flow well, "Atlas Stone" and "Falling Back To Earth" do stand out as well thought out tracks, with "Cockroach King" being quite the mix of prog self-seriousness and downright zaniness! I do think this is an improvement, taking what they've done before and distilling it down a little to get a group of songs that solidify their sound.
