Majestic Vanguard – Beyond the Moon
AOR Heaven - Metal Heaven 00012 - October 17th, 2005
by Stuart Norman
With their debut album Beyond the Moon, Majestic Vanguard have set about a highly adventurous task in the fantasy/power metal vein, and one that immediately captures the imagination. They showcase the exceptional talents of Peter Sigfridsson on vocals and Johan Abelson on guitar, who displays a degree of versatility, technique and musical taste which alone make this album worth checking out for any guitarist, regardless of their take on the genre. Being both ambitious and fresh, Majestic Vanguard have introduced themselves as a real and exciting prospect for the future, but at the same time one who’s potential is as yet unfulfilled.
From the first track proper, ‘The Great Eternity’ it is already clear that the band have at their disposal great hooks, originality, as well as the ambition to convey them in an interesting and varied format. Their progressive tendencies, which have become abundantly clear by the time title track ‘Beyond the Moon’ is only two minutes old, dictate the moments at which Majestic Vanguard sound at their most comfortable. This sometimes sits slightly less comfortably with their dominant Stratovarius/Kamelot passages, but at other times this combination proves to be their most appealing feature. If they can refine the process by which these two sounds can be brought together, then Majestic Vanguard are on to a real winning formula.
The aforementioned title track will invariably draw comparisons with Dream Theater themselves, largely due to the similarity of Peter Sigfridsson’s voice to that of James LaBrie’s own. Make no mistake though, the Majestic Vanguard front-man has superior technique and tuning, which makes his performances so much more listenable. Weaker points are apparent on the immediately following ‘Tears in Neverland’ where a more straightforward ‘Hammerfall’ type approach at times really doesn’t do justice to the complexity and calibre of musical foundation that Majestic Vanguard have set for themselves.
What you will find on tracks like ‘Take me Home’ are gems in the rough, where a rather awkward arrangement of otherwise decent ideas is home to a moment of true guitar genius. As with all the best bands in this genre there are recurrent moments reminiscent of Swedish legends Europe, and it is in one such passage that a guitar solo worthy of even the great Kee Marcello himself is found. Displaying the kind of taste that you will never hear from the likes of Alexi Laiho or Herman Li, Abelson shows signs of wizadry that can take this band into another class; without ever needing to break the speed barrier!
The art of arranging such diversity and complexity of material that makes up Beyond the Moon is not a straightforward one, and for now, one that Majestic Vanguard haven’t quite perfected. I suspect that they would have done better on this occasion by attempting something a little more song-based. The ‘concept album’ feeling on Beyond the Moon sometimes slightly obscures the ideas behind the songs themselves. By taking on this kind of project, Majestic Vanguard automatically put themselves into a category with the likes of Symphony X and Kamelot, alongside whom it is incredibly hard to excel. I am very hopeful that they will do in the near future. Some of the simply sublime moments on this album, such as the opening to ‘Don’t Want to be an Actor’ (almost In-Flames-like in depth and feel) and the beautifully tasteful lead-work which is recurrent throughout, lead me to think that they have the ability to do so. They also make Beyond the Moon on of the most exciting albums I have heard in a good while. Although how much you enjoy this album may well depend on just how willing you are to listen to a band with an explicitly Christian message, if you don’t listen to Majestic Vanguard, you are missing out on something.
7.5/10
http://www.majesticvanguard.net
http://www.aorheaven.com
AOR Heaven - Metal Heaven 00012 - October 17th, 2005
by Stuart Norman
With their debut album Beyond the Moon, Majestic Vanguard have set about a highly adventurous task in the fantasy/power metal vein, and one that immediately captures the imagination. They showcase the exceptional talents of Peter Sigfridsson on vocals and Johan Abelson on guitar, who displays a degree of versatility, technique and musical taste which alone make this album worth checking out for any guitarist, regardless of their take on the genre. Being both ambitious and fresh, Majestic Vanguard have introduced themselves as a real and exciting prospect for the future, but at the same time one who’s potential is as yet unfulfilled.
From the first track proper, ‘The Great Eternity’ it is already clear that the band have at their disposal great hooks, originality, as well as the ambition to convey them in an interesting and varied format. Their progressive tendencies, which have become abundantly clear by the time title track ‘Beyond the Moon’ is only two minutes old, dictate the moments at which Majestic Vanguard sound at their most comfortable. This sometimes sits slightly less comfortably with their dominant Stratovarius/Kamelot passages, but at other times this combination proves to be their most appealing feature. If they can refine the process by which these two sounds can be brought together, then Majestic Vanguard are on to a real winning formula.
The aforementioned title track will invariably draw comparisons with Dream Theater themselves, largely due to the similarity of Peter Sigfridsson’s voice to that of James LaBrie’s own. Make no mistake though, the Majestic Vanguard front-man has superior technique and tuning, which makes his performances so much more listenable. Weaker points are apparent on the immediately following ‘Tears in Neverland’ where a more straightforward ‘Hammerfall’ type approach at times really doesn’t do justice to the complexity and calibre of musical foundation that Majestic Vanguard have set for themselves.
What you will find on tracks like ‘Take me Home’ are gems in the rough, where a rather awkward arrangement of otherwise decent ideas is home to a moment of true guitar genius. As with all the best bands in this genre there are recurrent moments reminiscent of Swedish legends Europe, and it is in one such passage that a guitar solo worthy of even the great Kee Marcello himself is found. Displaying the kind of taste that you will never hear from the likes of Alexi Laiho or Herman Li, Abelson shows signs of wizadry that can take this band into another class; without ever needing to break the speed barrier!
The art of arranging such diversity and complexity of material that makes up Beyond the Moon is not a straightforward one, and for now, one that Majestic Vanguard haven’t quite perfected. I suspect that they would have done better on this occasion by attempting something a little more song-based. The ‘concept album’ feeling on Beyond the Moon sometimes slightly obscures the ideas behind the songs themselves. By taking on this kind of project, Majestic Vanguard automatically put themselves into a category with the likes of Symphony X and Kamelot, alongside whom it is incredibly hard to excel. I am very hopeful that they will do in the near future. Some of the simply sublime moments on this album, such as the opening to ‘Don’t Want to be an Actor’ (almost In-Flames-like in depth and feel) and the beautifully tasteful lead-work which is recurrent throughout, lead me to think that they have the ability to do so. They also make Beyond the Moon on of the most exciting albums I have heard in a good while. Although how much you enjoy this album may well depend on just how willing you are to listen to a band with an explicitly Christian message, if you don’t listen to Majestic Vanguard, you are missing out on something.
7.5/10
http://www.majesticvanguard.net
http://www.aorheaven.com
