Invictus - review us

popo

New Metal Member
Apr 24, 2004
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Invictus - review

from Tolland, CT USA
I think this is a great album. I don't love it as much as most people do, but I can see why its so great. I do have 5 favorites: Depression Part I, Redemption, The Strongest, Since the Day, and Car Crash.

So what does Invictus sound like? Well, LISTEN TO THE SAMPLES!!! If that isn't enough, I can say to expect quite a traditional heavy sound. You're gonna hear something more like Gamma Ray or Hammerfall than anybody else. Keyboards are here, but only to make a melodic sound. This isn't like Stratovarius, Norther, or Skylark where all you hear is keyboards. Invictus only uses keyboards to make certain transitions powerful. The band is French. Production is great for a first album, but could be better. The bass is what gives this a "heavy" metal categorization. The vocals are very "heavy", not even that of power metal. If you're into metal like Brainstorm, I would say to combine that with Hammerfall. That's probably your best bet to come up with the sound that sounds like Invictus.

Only 2 songs (maybe just one) exceed the 5:00 mark. One of them is the ballad "Since the Day" and if there's a second, I don't know what it is. Songs like The Strongest are what makes this album so captivating. Its just so original! It's a fun song that you'll get SO into!!! Other songs I consider "fun" include Save Us Now by Edguy and It's a Mystery by Stratovarius. They're just so pleasureful to the ears. Keyboards are used in The Strongest to add a melody. Specific notes are used. Only in Since the Day do the keyboards get used as a background sound to add atmosphere. Oh... there's a small part of Redemption that does also, but its short. Car Crash is another "fun" song. I enjoy it in the same way I enjoy songs like "Unforgiving Blade" by Hammerfall. There's a far better example than this out there somewhere, but I can't put my finger on it.

If you've been reading other reviews I've written, you'll think I've lost it this time. Invictus sounds like a combination of Heavenly and music from the Ecco games produced for the Sega game systems. Songs like Since the Day are what gave me this impression. The album is only 46 or so minutes, but you get your money's worth. There is a wide variety of style on this album. There are no choirs and only one singer, but still - the music speaks well enough for itself. For anyone wondering, they have a contract with Limb Music Products.

Invictus is the type of band who will release the album of the century in a few years. They'll blow us away with everything they have once they figure out what they do best - and what their fans like the most. Overall, unless that album is already out by the time you read this, I recommend this to fans of any power or death metal. The lyrics are pretty depressing, so if you're into melodic, fantasy, or progressive stuff, I'd advise you to try out Brainstorm, Gamma Ray, or Hammerfall first.

If this review helped you, please say so! When you get the time, please go read some of my other reviews. Thanks for reading!