Adamanter - The Shadow Mirror
Black Lotus Records - BLR/CD053 - 2003
By Philip Whitehouse
If ever there was a band that symblises practically everything I hate about power metal, then Adamanter could well be that band. It's not that I have anything against power metal if it's done well - checking back to my Arwen and Axenstar reviews will tell you that, and I'm not ashamed to admit that Primal Fear's Devil's Ground has been pretty much tattooed to my stereo lately - but the number of pompous, generic, conveyor-belt-fed faceless symphonic power metal groups swarming out of the floorboards lately truly cause my teeth to grate. Throw progressive influences into the mix, and you have the potential to bring out an aneurysm in me.
The immediate thing to strike you about this album is the god-awful production. The guitars are a quiet, crackly hiss somewhere behind the incessant clanging of the cymbals, and the keyboards range from a quiet, Casio-produced background noise to a maddeningly prevalent addition to the percussion with stabbing piano chords. The bass guitar is non-existent, and everything, absolutely everything, is drowned out by the vocals.
Oh yes, the vocals - overdramatic, overblown and definitely overproduced. This guy's vocal histrionics make Justin Hawkins sound like Rob Halford. This would be bad enough, but the production inexplicably puts them firmly to the forefront of the mix, drowning out everything else. Absolutely infuriating.
Annoyingly enough, the music (if you can concentrate on it through the mix) shows occasional potential - the keyboards are incorporated with respectable restraint, and the guitars occasionally go from typical power metal genericisms to near death metal riffage, without seemingly losing identity - but sadly, the flat production strips the more impressive riffage of it's power.
But, unfortunately, this is all ruined by a rushed feel, a lack of inspiration, a ridiculously irritating vocalist and a terrible production. Avoid.
2/10
Adamanter's Official Website
Black Lotus Records Website
Black Lotus Records - BLR/CD053 - 2003
By Philip Whitehouse
If ever there was a band that symblises practically everything I hate about power metal, then Adamanter could well be that band. It's not that I have anything against power metal if it's done well - checking back to my Arwen and Axenstar reviews will tell you that, and I'm not ashamed to admit that Primal Fear's Devil's Ground has been pretty much tattooed to my stereo lately - but the number of pompous, generic, conveyor-belt-fed faceless symphonic power metal groups swarming out of the floorboards lately truly cause my teeth to grate. Throw progressive influences into the mix, and you have the potential to bring out an aneurysm in me.
The immediate thing to strike you about this album is the god-awful production. The guitars are a quiet, crackly hiss somewhere behind the incessant clanging of the cymbals, and the keyboards range from a quiet, Casio-produced background noise to a maddeningly prevalent addition to the percussion with stabbing piano chords. The bass guitar is non-existent, and everything, absolutely everything, is drowned out by the vocals.
Oh yes, the vocals - overdramatic, overblown and definitely overproduced. This guy's vocal histrionics make Justin Hawkins sound like Rob Halford. This would be bad enough, but the production inexplicably puts them firmly to the forefront of the mix, drowning out everything else. Absolutely infuriating.
Annoyingly enough, the music (if you can concentrate on it through the mix) shows occasional potential - the keyboards are incorporated with respectable restraint, and the guitars occasionally go from typical power metal genericisms to near death metal riffage, without seemingly losing identity - but sadly, the flat production strips the more impressive riffage of it's power.
But, unfortunately, this is all ruined by a rushed feel, a lack of inspiration, a ridiculously irritating vocalist and a terrible production. Avoid.
2/10
Adamanter's Official Website
Black Lotus Records Website
