This is my preview for this year's ProgPower IV:
Redemption:
They will provide a very professional peformance and will do a great job opening the festival. They will obvioulsy play songs from their one and only album and win over many prog metal fans who might not know their material. I predict a 7/10 or 8/10 performance.
Mercenary:
Probably the most unknown band of the festival. Their mix of death, thrash, and melody will definitely be more interesting than Nightingale and Devin Townsend, the two previous non-prog/power bands at PP, and they should provide an entertaining set, especially for people like me who also enjoy more extreme yet melodic metal. Most of their set will come from EverBlack. Prediction: 7/10.
Vanden Plas:
Many people, including myself, were angry that they did not show up at PPII, but they will make everything ok again with a brilliant performance at PPIV. They have already proven to the world why they are considered the GErman Dream Theater, with a great live album called "Spirit of Live". I predict their live set will be very similar to that live album, but obviously also including songs from Beyond Daylight album. Guitarist Stephan Lill will blow people away with his guitar playing, and I expect a perfect sound and delivery from all the members of the band. The highlight will definitely be "Rainmaker"! Prediction: 9/10
Nightwish:
They will open their 90 minute set with "Bless the Child", and play mostly songs from Wishmaster and Century Child. Their sound will be crystal clear and their delivery perfect, but they will lack a little in stage presence. The crowd will be very pumped up for this band and I am sure most people will be pleased by their performance, especially with Tarja Turunen's voice. One of the highlights will be "Over the Hills", and other songs included in set will be She is my Sin, Wanderlust, Pharaoh Sails to Orion, The Kinslayer, Sacrament of Wilderness, Wishmaster , Ever Dream, Ocean Soul, etc. It will be a good set, but one that could have been better with more songs from Oceanborn such as Getsemane or Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean. Prediction: 8/10.
Symphony X:
They will once again make a strong showing at PP. They will open with Inferno and then jump into a set that will include many songs from the latest album, Divine Wings, V, and Twilight in Olympus, and maybe one or two songs from earlier. Russell Allen will be brilliant as always, and guitar genius Mike Romeo will amaze people with his incredible skills. I expect them to play Evolution, Fallen, Smoke and Mirrors, Of Sins and Shadows, Out of the Ashes, The Edge of Forever, Sea of Lies, Wicked, King of Terrors, CHurch of the Machine, Egypt, etc. Overall, this band will rule once again with all its members playing flawlessly and with lots of energy. Prediction: 10/10.
Pagans Mind:
This will be the surprise of the festival! These Norwegians will win over a lot of fans in just 45 minutes. I expect their live material to be at least 75% from their second album "Celestial Entrance", with songs like Through Osyris Eyes, Entrance Stargate, Seven Sacred Promises, and Aegan Shores. They will be the perfect opening band for night number two, although if it was up to me, I would have liked to see them playing at least one hour. This will be a great performance and people will be begging for more. The great thing is that this band will appeal to both power and prog fans (like Symphony X) Prediction: 9/10.
Secret Sphere:
This band was kind of a surprise at PPIV. I honestly did not expect them to be considered since I always believed they were rather too unknown (I have known them since the beginning) to be brought to ProgPower. They will provide a very solid performance with a lot of energy and should appeal to most people at the festival since their power metal has a lot of prog influences. They will play a lot off the latest album, which IMO is not their best, but I think the material from their previous two albums will be more popular among the crowd. Prediction: 7/10.
Circle II Circle:
Circle II CIrcle will have a very diverse reaction from crowd. Some will love them, some will be bored a little. They are very good musicians, and Zack is a great vocalist, but they are too new to play third slot and many people will not know their music. It will be a very professional performance nonetheless and they will win over some new fans. I expect there to be some Savatage covers. Prediction 6/10 or 7/10.
Evergrey:
These Swedes have become legends of ProgPower. This will be their third appearance (as well as Symphony X) at this great Festival and they will once again be one of the highlights of the festival. They will open up with either "The Great Deceiver" or "Blinded" from their latest masterpiece, and play a set which will consist of around 75% material from Recreation Day and In Search of Truth, and with the rest coming mainly from Solitude-Dominance-Tragedy. They will quickly gain the attention of the crowd, since many people at PP are fans of the band, and they will not disappoint anyone in the Earthlink. The sound will be heavy and clear and will make people headbang all the way through the set. The highlights willl be Recreation Day and Masterplan, and other songs included will be End of Your Days, As I Lie Here BLeeding, I'm Sorry, Nosferatu, Visions, Rulers of the Mind, State of Paralysis, The Encounter, Mark of Triangle, and they will finish with the great "Solitude Within". Great performance: 10/10.
Rage:
These German legens will finally make their first appearance in the US. They will deliver a high-octane 90 minute in-your-face metal set which will spane throughout all their 20 year history. Since they are not that well known in the US, I am sure that they will win over a lot of new fans with their live set. They will open their set with "All I Want" from Unity, and play several songs from that album including "Down" and "Insanity". I also expect them to play classics such as Alive but Dead, Black in Mind, Firestorm, Solitary Man, Don't Fear the Winter, but I expect a lot of stuff from the albums done with the current lineup. They will also play From Cradle to the Grave, Pain the Devil on the Wall, and War of Worlds off their upcoming new album "Soundchaser". Mike Terrana will be an animal on the drums, Smolksi will impress with his modern guitar playing, and Peavy will do a great job on bass and vocals. They will also have a great sound and will be more than a worthy headliner/closer at PPIV. Prediction: 10/10!!!
Overall, this festival will be great and I expect it to be very consistent from beginning to end. All the bands are very good and should do a great job in Atlanta. Only less than a month to go....I am getting really excited!!!
Redemption:
They will provide a very professional peformance and will do a great job opening the festival. They will obvioulsy play songs from their one and only album and win over many prog metal fans who might not know their material. I predict a 7/10 or 8/10 performance.
Mercenary:
Probably the most unknown band of the festival. Their mix of death, thrash, and melody will definitely be more interesting than Nightingale and Devin Townsend, the two previous non-prog/power bands at PP, and they should provide an entertaining set, especially for people like me who also enjoy more extreme yet melodic metal. Most of their set will come from EverBlack. Prediction: 7/10.
Vanden Plas:
Many people, including myself, were angry that they did not show up at PPII, but they will make everything ok again with a brilliant performance at PPIV. They have already proven to the world why they are considered the GErman Dream Theater, with a great live album called "Spirit of Live". I predict their live set will be very similar to that live album, but obviously also including songs from Beyond Daylight album. Guitarist Stephan Lill will blow people away with his guitar playing, and I expect a perfect sound and delivery from all the members of the band. The highlight will definitely be "Rainmaker"! Prediction: 9/10
Nightwish:
They will open their 90 minute set with "Bless the Child", and play mostly songs from Wishmaster and Century Child. Their sound will be crystal clear and their delivery perfect, but they will lack a little in stage presence. The crowd will be very pumped up for this band and I am sure most people will be pleased by their performance, especially with Tarja Turunen's voice. One of the highlights will be "Over the Hills", and other songs included in set will be She is my Sin, Wanderlust, Pharaoh Sails to Orion, The Kinslayer, Sacrament of Wilderness, Wishmaster , Ever Dream, Ocean Soul, etc. It will be a good set, but one that could have been better with more songs from Oceanborn such as Getsemane or Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean. Prediction: 8/10.
Symphony X:
They will once again make a strong showing at PP. They will open with Inferno and then jump into a set that will include many songs from the latest album, Divine Wings, V, and Twilight in Olympus, and maybe one or two songs from earlier. Russell Allen will be brilliant as always, and guitar genius Mike Romeo will amaze people with his incredible skills. I expect them to play Evolution, Fallen, Smoke and Mirrors, Of Sins and Shadows, Out of the Ashes, The Edge of Forever, Sea of Lies, Wicked, King of Terrors, CHurch of the Machine, Egypt, etc. Overall, this band will rule once again with all its members playing flawlessly and with lots of energy. Prediction: 10/10.
Pagans Mind:
This will be the surprise of the festival! These Norwegians will win over a lot of fans in just 45 minutes. I expect their live material to be at least 75% from their second album "Celestial Entrance", with songs like Through Osyris Eyes, Entrance Stargate, Seven Sacred Promises, and Aegan Shores. They will be the perfect opening band for night number two, although if it was up to me, I would have liked to see them playing at least one hour. This will be a great performance and people will be begging for more. The great thing is that this band will appeal to both power and prog fans (like Symphony X) Prediction: 9/10.
Secret Sphere:
This band was kind of a surprise at PPIV. I honestly did not expect them to be considered since I always believed they were rather too unknown (I have known them since the beginning) to be brought to ProgPower. They will provide a very solid performance with a lot of energy and should appeal to most people at the festival since their power metal has a lot of prog influences. They will play a lot off the latest album, which IMO is not their best, but I think the material from their previous two albums will be more popular among the crowd. Prediction: 7/10.
Circle II Circle:
Circle II CIrcle will have a very diverse reaction from crowd. Some will love them, some will be bored a little. They are very good musicians, and Zack is a great vocalist, but they are too new to play third slot and many people will not know their music. It will be a very professional performance nonetheless and they will win over some new fans. I expect there to be some Savatage covers. Prediction 6/10 or 7/10.
Evergrey:
These Swedes have become legends of ProgPower. This will be their third appearance (as well as Symphony X) at this great Festival and they will once again be one of the highlights of the festival. They will open up with either "The Great Deceiver" or "Blinded" from their latest masterpiece, and play a set which will consist of around 75% material from Recreation Day and In Search of Truth, and with the rest coming mainly from Solitude-Dominance-Tragedy. They will quickly gain the attention of the crowd, since many people at PP are fans of the band, and they will not disappoint anyone in the Earthlink. The sound will be heavy and clear and will make people headbang all the way through the set. The highlights willl be Recreation Day and Masterplan, and other songs included will be End of Your Days, As I Lie Here BLeeding, I'm Sorry, Nosferatu, Visions, Rulers of the Mind, State of Paralysis, The Encounter, Mark of Triangle, and they will finish with the great "Solitude Within". Great performance: 10/10.
Rage:
These German legens will finally make their first appearance in the US. They will deliver a high-octane 90 minute in-your-face metal set which will spane throughout all their 20 year history. Since they are not that well known in the US, I am sure that they will win over a lot of new fans with their live set. They will open their set with "All I Want" from Unity, and play several songs from that album including "Down" and "Insanity". I also expect them to play classics such as Alive but Dead, Black in Mind, Firestorm, Solitary Man, Don't Fear the Winter, but I expect a lot of stuff from the albums done with the current lineup. They will also play From Cradle to the Grave, Pain the Devil on the Wall, and War of Worlds off their upcoming new album "Soundchaser". Mike Terrana will be an animal on the drums, Smolksi will impress with his modern guitar playing, and Peavy will do a great job on bass and vocals. They will also have a great sound and will be more than a worthy headliner/closer at PPIV. Prediction: 10/10!!!
Overall, this festival will be great and I expect it to be very consistent from beginning to end. All the bands are very good and should do a great job in Atlanta. Only less than a month to go....I am getting really excited!!!
