For fans of Nevermore... Shatter Messiah

[General Zod]

First off, thanks to Britt for turning me on to these guys…

For those of you who are fans of Nevermore or who were fans of Greg Wagner’s work with Archetype, I would highly recommend the debut CD by Shatter Messiah, entitled Never to Play the Servant. Aside from Wagner, the band also features Curran Murphy (Annihilator, Nevermore touring guitar player). Rumor had it that Murphy always wanted to become a permanent member of Nevermore, but was never asked. If anyone doubted the veracity of those rumors, all doubt is set aside with Murphy’s work on this disc.

The music is a combination of Dark Power Metal and Thrash. However, the similarities to Nevermore don’t end there. The themes that run through the songs on Never to Play the Servant, exhibit a very Nevermorian aesthetic. Lastly, Wagner’s vocal delivery suggests a Dane influence that I never noted during his time with Archetype. Yet, despite all these parallels, Shatter Messiah are in no way a Nevermore clone. Instead, they simply operate in a similar headspace.

Overall, this is a very solid debut. Because the energy, intensity and pace of this disc is in a constant state of flux, I find it’s capable of holding my attention from beginning to end. Sadly, it seems that fewer and fewer discs actually do this. In a genre where bands release a debut and then vanish into the ether, Shatter Messiah is a group I hope manages to push onward, as I’m interested to see what they do next.

Samples can be found here:

http://www.shattermessiah.com/multimedia_home.htm

Zod

 

[Harvester]

For those looking for a quicker audio fix and full songs:

http://www.myspace.com/shattermessiah

 

[Rider of Theli]

killer! can't wait to get home and listen to this!

I've been jamming with Archetype's debut all week long after ordering it through Nightmare Records.

pssst - only a few days left for the no-shipping-charge offer!

 

[AngraRULES]

This is fucking GREAT!

 

[The Invisible Guest]

I'm glad you are digging it, Greg. I thought it might be up your alley. I love Wagner ... he's really, really good IMO. He's a chameleon behind the mic. I have always thought he would have been an awesome fit for Iced Earth when Barlow split. He sure seems to be a real good fit in Shatter Messiah, so hopefully this band will find some success.

Britt

 

[The Invisible Guest]

killer! can't wait to get home and listen to this!

I've been jamming with Archetype's debut all week long after ordering it through Nightmare Records.

pssst - only a few days left for the no-shipping-charge offer!

That Archetype debut is great. I've been waiting for ever for them to release a second disc. Hopefully the newest singer they have can come remotely close to Wagner's level.

Britt

 

[General Zod]

I'm glad you are digging it, Greg. I thought it might be up your alley.

Your recommendations are usually right on.

I love Wagner ... he's really, really good IMO. He's a chameleon behind the mic.

An excellent way to describe him. It seems there are very few bands he couldn't sing for. What the hell was Archetype thinking? If they replaced him because of personality difference, OK. If it was because they wanted something different, they made a bad decision.

I have always thought he would have been an awesome fit for Iced Earth when Barlow split.

You and I both. However, after Ripper's draw-dropping work on Glorious, it's hard to argue with Jon's choice.

Zod

 

[johnfrank1970]

First, thanks for the tip.

Second, I am pissed now. I love Archetype - Dawning, and Greg Wagner’s performance on it is a highlight for me. I was pissed when he left the band. I am interested in Archetype's forthcoming disc, but I was not very impressed with them at the Chicago Powerfest. I think they have a different vocalist now though.

Of course, I like Nevermore too.

So far, the tunes on Shatter Messiah's myspace page have not done much for me. The music lacks hooks, and Wagner's vocal performance suffers greatly in comparison to his work on Dawning.

I will give the tunes a few more plays.

 

[The Invisible Guest]

I agree that they could use some more hooks, but I think it's a strong debut disc. I think Wagner's singing style on this disc is fitting for a thrashy disc. This is a much different disc than Dawning. There are some parts on this new one where he gets more melodic here and there, but overall I think he's going for a rougher sounding style.

Britt