Lyranthe Oculus Inferno
Lone Wolf Music 2004
By Russell Garwood
Prog-metal. Yes, this saturated genre is still growing in adherents, rapidly becoming the antithesis of its original stance. Where once originality was the order of the day, with progressive structures and progressive musicianship, recently there seem to be an awful lot of generic bands out there. Can Lyranthe escape the many pitfalls in the prog-metal minefield, I hear you ask? The answer would be a tentative yes.
There is no denying the band has very apparent influences. Dream Theater moments are notable, Queensryche leanings abound, Nevermore reminiscent vocals ring of the US power metal scene, and most of the music on display is nothing you havent heard before. All the tracks also follow a similar formula. The song begins. Enter melodic guitars driving the sound; well performed, prominent, bass; tight, fill-heavy drumming. Then, yes, you guessed it, in comes the singing. In a rather lower register than much prog tends to be, it is very listenable, if lacking any immediate hooks. Play a verse, then a chorus, repeat, add a lightening fast (and I mean really, really fast) solo, a rhythm-driven bridge, and then close with a reprise of the main theme.
Despite this formulaic approach, however, there are interesting elements in the music. In what would initially appear a rather laid-back sound, in the softer realms of prog, the (highly infrequent) growls come as a complete shock. There is no denying the band are very talented instrumentalists, as the music is oozing good performances. While the vocals rarely provide memorable lines, as a whole the compositions can be compelling, and make for interesting listening (if easy to forget afterwards). The production is perhaps not quite at the same standard as many of the bands contemporaries, which is a bit of a shame. Not without flaws, Oculus Inferno certainly shows potential. With a more original approach, the music could truly stand out. In the mean time this is best skipped for those who arent prog fans.
6/10
Official Lone Wolf Music website
Lone Wolf Music 2004
By Russell Garwood
Prog-metal. Yes, this saturated genre is still growing in adherents, rapidly becoming the antithesis of its original stance. Where once originality was the order of the day, with progressive structures and progressive musicianship, recently there seem to be an awful lot of generic bands out there. Can Lyranthe escape the many pitfalls in the prog-metal minefield, I hear you ask? The answer would be a tentative yes.
There is no denying the band has very apparent influences. Dream Theater moments are notable, Queensryche leanings abound, Nevermore reminiscent vocals ring of the US power metal scene, and most of the music on display is nothing you havent heard before. All the tracks also follow a similar formula. The song begins. Enter melodic guitars driving the sound; well performed, prominent, bass; tight, fill-heavy drumming. Then, yes, you guessed it, in comes the singing. In a rather lower register than much prog tends to be, it is very listenable, if lacking any immediate hooks. Play a verse, then a chorus, repeat, add a lightening fast (and I mean really, really fast) solo, a rhythm-driven bridge, and then close with a reprise of the main theme.
Despite this formulaic approach, however, there are interesting elements in the music. In what would initially appear a rather laid-back sound, in the softer realms of prog, the (highly infrequent) growls come as a complete shock. There is no denying the band are very talented instrumentalists, as the music is oozing good performances. While the vocals rarely provide memorable lines, as a whole the compositions can be compelling, and make for interesting listening (if easy to forget afterwards). The production is perhaps not quite at the same standard as many of the bands contemporaries, which is a bit of a shame. Not without flaws, Oculus Inferno certainly shows potential. With a more original approach, the music could truly stand out. In the mean time this is best skipped for those who arent prog fans.
6/10
Official Lone Wolf Music website