Let's find ALL the reviews for Specs

[batmura]

A second review has been posted for Specs on our website by the site publisher Pete Pardo:

http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=4322

I believe this is his first (or one of his first) five-star review of the year. I am so psyched!

 

[Kenneth R.]

awesome!

 

[ZHJ&T]

http://www.thedarkesthours.com/reviews/testreview.php?id=1790

That's a review Sensory sent my way and thought I would add it to the list.

BTW..The TEXAS SHOW WAS AWESOME!!! Thank you all who showed and screamed like crazy for us...We had the best time and look forward to doing it again next year.

METAL!!!

Jasun/ZH

 

[Hawk]

Found a new review here:

http://www.metal-exiles.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=696

Zero Hour - Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond - Sensory

Prog metal, something that has almost zero commercial appeal but yet takes the most talent to play, a problematic way to live I guess. That hurdle does not prevent most bands from pursuing their dream of making some of the best metal out there and that applies to the phenomenal Bay Area act Zero Hour.

To enjoy prog, you have to have an open mind and a willing to let the music take you in and for long periods of times. There are no 3 minute hit singles here and that would be a shame if there were. To imagine their sound, imagine if early Queensryche and John Arch era Fates Warning had a kid, Zero Hour would be the product of that union. They incorporate lengthy guitar runs that rival the best of any prog output as Jasun Tipton is a phenomenal guitar player and his bassist brother Troy complements him heavily as he is not the a typical rhythm player. Chris Salinas, here is a vocalist that can take his voice to the highest register as heard on the title track and to a passive tone with I Am Here, a softer melody but yet powerful all the same.

All 7 tracks have flash, fire and passion above all else, the lyrics are very deep and meaningful as well. The drummer, Mike Guy, attacks his drums with no reserve but yet knows where to play his licks and how to not overplay . All four of these ingredients make Zero Hour and therefore have given birth to one of this years best releases in the progressive community and for metal in general.

The only drawback that I know of is the millions of people that do not care to sit through this kind of material, this is what they are missing and they turn their ears off of it and therefore miss meaningful music that is well created. If this was a perfect world, you would see this band excepting a Grammy for Best Metal Performance but since this is not, buy this CD, which will be the best reward for this act.

A Perfect 10, this is Flawless.

CD review by Jeffrey Easton

 

[Hawk]

And another here:

http://ytsejam.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1075

Zero Hour – Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond

2006 Sensory/Laser’s Edge Records

Beyond the realm of metal progression

They forge avant-garde time signatures with AOR songwriting that collides with the overall heavy scope of metallic endurance of a sound that has become to be known as Zero Hour’s. Having made headway with their dark and intriguing sound from San Francisco’s bay area to the stages of ProgPower (three times), the band has again returned with a heap of haunting and gloom riddled progressive metal with a record titled Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond.

Sounding like Circus Maximus, Age of Nemesis, & Time Machine, the realm of a murk laden atmosphere is encompassed throughout tracks such as “Face the Fear,” “I am Here,” and the title track, while “The Falcons Cry” and “Zero Hour” casts a more stark intention to grind the thrust of metal laden propulsions upon the senses.

Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond is the first record to feature former Power of Omens vocalist Chris Salinas, and he fits in the band like a glove. Still as Zero Hour progresses, no pun intended there, throughout their career, this being their fourth record, nothing lets them down, they show no weakness or mercy intensifying into threshold of technical metal.

Added: October 31st 2006
Reviewer: Tommy Hash
Score: 4 and a halve stars

 

[Hawk]

And another one here:

http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=8545&lang=en

This is one of the biggest if not the biggest Dutch webzine.

Zero Hour - Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond
Sensory

Zero Hour - Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond
Evil Dr. Smith:

Three albums, three different singers. Unless you're someone like Finn Zierler from Beyond Twilight, I don't think this is an ideal situation for the continuation of a band. Zero Hour from San Francisco wasn't happy with it, obviously.

Their original singer Erik Rosvold (who also sung on their first EP, which was re-released as 'Metamorphosis' a couple of years later) appeared to be lazy as hell.. eh, to be an incredible perfectionist that is, so eventually he got the sack. This was the main reason why people had to wait so long for the follow-up of 'Towers Of Avarice' (2001), but in the end the band found one Fred Marshall (local singer from anonymous SF-bands) who did a mighty fine job on 'A Fragile Mind', which was released in the fall of 2005. Looking back on this album, I'm still very positive about it, but not everybody was as euphoric as I was. Some critics enjoyed the album, but thought it lacks the impact 'Towers' had…

That will be different with this album. The co-operation with Fred Marshall seemed to be like a one-session-stand, because shortly after the recordings he was already out of the picture and was replaced by another man: Chris Salinas. Or should I write Geoff Tate Junior? The resemblance is almost embarrassing. Especially in the highest and slight lower registers. Chris sings in those registers better than Geoff had done in the last decade, at least. As high as a castrated nightingale or as low as a cow on heat: he's always extremely in tune, unforced and with a warm timbre. One impressive natural talent! Keep this bloke Zero Hour gents, will ya please?

During the less high octaves Chris also reminds (a lot) like John Archer/Ray Alder of Fates Warning, and together with the glowing progmetal of Zero Hour it's sometimes like I'm trapped in a time warp back to the days of 'Awaken The Guardian' and 'No Exit'. Therefore people who totally worshiped 'Towers…' might not be completely overwhelmed by this new album, because it hasn't got that cold, staccato prog as 'Towers…' had. 'Specs' has a warm, dynamic and sometimes even jazzy/fusion-like atmosphere, although it surely has some bone hard Meshuggah-riffing. Furthermore Zero Hour still excels in haunted, ultra complex riffs in the best Psychotic Waltz tradition.

All this and the exciting build-up songs, the intriguing melodies and exhilarating riffs makes it an album that has the best of all aforementioned bands. Fates Warning, Queensrÿche and Psychotic Waltz would have been more than proud if they made an album like this. One of the best prog albums of this year. If you don't believe me: hearing is believing.

Evil Dr. Smith diagnoses: 90/100

 

[spatch]

Here is another one I found

http://www.zerohourweb.com/mainpage.htm

Zero Hour - Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond - Sensory

Prog metal, something that has almost zero commercial appeal but yet takes the most talent to play, a problematic way to live I guess. That hurdle does not prevent most bands from pursuing their dream of making some of the best metal out there and that applies to the phenomenal Bay Area act Zero Hour. To enjoy prog, you have to have an open mind and a willing to let the music take you in and for long periods of times. There are no 3 minute hit singles here and that would be a shame if there were. To imagine their sound, imagine if early Queensryche and John Arch era Fates Warning had a kid, Zero Hour would be the product of that union. They incorporate lengthy guitar runs that rival the best of any prog output as Jasun Tipton is a phenomenal guitar player and his bassist brother Troy complements him heavily as he is not the a typical rhythm player. Chris Salinas, here is a vocalist that can take his voice to the highest register as heard on the title track and to a passive tone with I Am Here, a softer melody but yet powerful all the same. All 7 tracks have flash, fire and passion above all else, the lyrics are very deep and meaningful as well. The drummer, Mike Guy, attacks his drums with no reserve but yet knows where to play his licks and how to not overplay . All four of these ingredients make Zero Hour and therefore have given birth to one of this years best releases in the progressive community and for metal in general. The only drawback that I know of is the millions of people that do not care to sit through this kind of material, this is what they are missing and they turn their ears off of it and therefore miss meaningful music that is well created. If this was a perfect world, you would see this band excepting a Grammy for Best Metal Performance but since this is not, buy this CD, which will be the best reward for this act.

A Perfect 10, this is Flawless.

CD review by Jeffrey Easton

 

[Hawk]

Here is another one I found

http://www.zerohourweb.com/mainpage.htm

Zero Hour - Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond - Sensory

Prog metal, something that has almost zero commercial appeal but yet takes the most talent to play, a problematic way to live I guess. That hurdle does not prevent most bands from pursuing their dream of making some of the best metal out there and that applies to the phenomenal Bay Area act Zero Hour. To enjoy prog, you have to have an open mind and a willing to let the music take you in and for long periods of times. There are no 3 minute hit singles here and that would be a shame if there were. To imagine their sound, imagine if early Queensryche and John Arch era Fates Warning had a kid, Zero Hour would be the product of that union. They incorporate lengthy guitar runs that rival the best of any prog output as Jasun Tipton is a phenomenal guitar player and his bassist brother Troy complements him heavily as he is not the a typical rhythm player. Chris Salinas, here is a vocalist that can take his voice to the highest register as heard on the title track and to a passive tone with I Am Here, a softer melody but yet powerful all the same. All 7 tracks have flash, fire and passion above all else, the lyrics are very deep and meaningful as well. The drummer, Mike Guy, attacks his drums with no reserve but yet knows where to play his licks and how to not overplay . All four of these ingredients make Zero Hour and therefore have given birth to one of this years best releases in the progressive community and for metal in general. The only drawback that I know of is the millions of people that do not care to sit through this kind of material, this is what they are missing and they turn their ears off of it and therefore miss meaningful music that is well created. If this was a perfect world, you would see this band excepting a Grammy for Best Metal Performance but since this is not, buy this CD, which will be the best reward for this act.

A Perfect 10, this is Flawless.

CD review by Jeffrey Easton

spatch buddy, thats the same as this one:

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5538587&postcount=24

Sorry...

 

[spatch]

Sorry Hawk

 

[Hawk]

Sorry Hawk

No problem man. I hope you find a few new ones.

 

[spatch]

Here are my thoughts around the new album.
Zero Hour: Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond
This is Zero Hour fourth album and in many ways a pivotal album for the band. It is really important that the band manages to nail this one.. The band has a new vocalist Chris Salinas from Power of Omens. Following Towers of Avarice was always going to be difficult and while A Fragile Mind (AFM) is underrated it divided a lot of opinions.
The new CD starts off in typical Zero Hour fashion; heavy dissonant riffs from both Jasun and Troy. The track combines some of the heaviness of Towers with some of the atmosphere of AFM. Chris shows how quickly he has fitted into the band; somehow Chris vocal phrasing really fits well to Zero Hour complex music.
The album is well produced by Dino Alden. In particular Mike’s drum sound really kicks out. Jasun lead guitar sound is always great but I found myself really enjoying his clean sound as well. Overall the production is as close to perfect you can get for this type of music. The energy of the band comes shinning through.
The Falcon Cry is a vocal tour de force and it is easy to see why everybody seems to love this track. Embrace could of easily come of Jasun solo CD Seduction and contains some soaring background vocals from Chris. Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond contains plenty of power and aggression. This track would be great to head-bang too (but now to figure out how to head-bang to those odd time meters)! The instrumental Zero Hour for me represents what the band stands for musically, a fitting title to name it after the band. Evidence of the Unseen is my personnel favourite. The music is heavy and reflective.
When listening to Zero Hour Specs Burnt Beyond I was struck by just how committed the band was and how well everything seemed to fall into space. As I mentioned earlier it is really important for the band to nail this one and they certainly have. Zero Hour are back and Specs confirms them as one the leading lights within the whole progressive metal genre.
John
Sorry its so late

 

[Kenneth R.]

who said anything about late? people are still reviewing 60's albums bro!

 

[sknight]

Music is phenomenal.

The vocals are poor.

 

[eaeolian]

The vocals are poor.

Uh, OK. I would go with "the vocals are not my thing" (or even "I hate whiny voiced prog singers" ), but "poor" suggests badly executed, which they most certainly are not.

 

[sknight]

We all have opinions.

I love ZH and waited very patiently. Perhaps Chris would work on his delivery next time because the voice isn't sitting right with a lot of people.

I could be a total dick, but I'm still a fan and I won't be. I'd rather be constructive, but because I'm a fan, I think it's more important to voice the negatives, not fanboy the positives.

 

[eaeolian]

We all have opinions.

I love ZH and waited very patiently. Perhaps Chris would work on his delivery next time because the voice isn't sitting right with a lot of people.

I could be a total dick, but I'm still a fan and I won't be. I'd rather be constructive, but because I'm a fan, I think it's more important to voice the negatives, not fanboy the positives.

Hardly fanboyisms from me.

When you said "vocals are poor", it suggests poor performance, not poor writing. Chris did not perform poorly on the recording. Now, not liking the vocal melodies, that's a different discussion.

At this point, I still prefer Erik's approach on "Towers", but Chris showed me a lot more than I expected (I didn't like PoO at all).

 

[Rick Pierpont]

I have to agree with you Mike. We are talking more about preference than facts at this point. I don't think there is any room for arguing that Chris isn't an awesome vocalist!

I happen to be a HUGE fan of Chris in ZH and think he's the best thing that happened to the band. I loved Erik, but I think that Chris goes WAY beyond what Erik brought to the band. He also nails Erik's material like no other! TO me, Chris is one of the best vocalists -- PERIOD! Oh yeah, he's funny as shit too!

 

[Kenneth R.]

Agreed, I really was a major fan of Erik's style on Towers.
Having said that, and keeping in mind that "Demise & Vestige" is one of my favorite songs EVER, Chris totally nailed that song live and then some.

If you're not down with the style of his voice, I understand and respect that bro. But as for being on, well... he's on.

 

[sknight]

Jeez.

"Poor writing" means "poor lyrics", which I don't believe to be the case. When one refers to "poor lyrics", they are referring to the quality of the lyrics.

When one refers to "poor vocals", they are referring to the vocals.

 

[Kenneth R.]

what about them did you not like? The range? The guy has unquestionable skills...