LYRAKA
Vol. 1
(Andrew DiGelsomina/Mermaid's Song) Warned by smart people not to let this one pass without a play, and I'm glad I didn't, Lyraka being some sort of indie-released "heavy metal opera." But forget that summation, 'cos it'll just send you running in the other direction. A more accurate (and point form-y) description might read, story by Jasmine Lyraka, all songs and guitars by Andy DiGelsomina, art by Ken Kelly (Kiss, Rainbow), six long songs, one vocal by Veronica Freeman (don't know her), one by Tommy Heart (Fair Warning), and four (and all the long songs), by Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, MSG, Alcatrazz - a god amongst mortals). The music is hard to describe, but there's something "outsider" about it, along with both the white and black magic one felt in confrontation with the Diamond Head catalogue, namely not great production, some amateurish music choices, but mainly a strangely irresistible yet measured flood of fresh, catchy, creative, NWOBHM-ish ideas that draw you to the conclusion that with a pile of work, by stamping out all the cheapness, this is the next Led Zeppelin. And yes, Lyraka somehow floats along on this hallowed plane, causing quiet marvel, but with an underground NWOBHM vibe, or like better than the best of the proggiest NWOBHM bands (slim pickings), or maybe something akin to early Fates Warning. So that's it, really, and as a closing thought, through six songs and 41 minutes, you'll never be bored, the added bonus being, like I say, this sturdy confidence that you are partaking of the thought process of a great songwriter.
Rating 8
