Just found this whilst browsing for a link i'd lost...was chuffed to shards with what this guy said about us! sounds like a really good writer if you ask me 
hahaha!
All his reviews including this one can be found here - http://zinar7.livejournal.com/
Location: The Joiners, Southampton
Date: 12th February 2010
Support Acts: Moral Sense, Draegon, Ascension
And so it was on a cold, February eve when myself, and a few accomplices, began the epic trudge down to Southampton's premier alternative music venue to feast our ears and minds yet again for the onslaught of another epic night of delicious power metal headed up by Power Quest, whose location in close proximity of my local city of Southampton means that this is the third time that they've played here in little over a year. One of the best-loved 'unknowns' in the power metal archives, they always typify the 'underdogs' of the genre, who consisently put out albums of a deeply high standard, but who don't seem to have been graced with the widespread success that similar bands have enjoyed. Even so, it was for this, and their stunning live shows, that us warriors bravely tackled the freezing weather to march down to Southampton's premier alterntive music venue, The Joiners, to banquet on what would turn out a hugely enjoyable evening.
First up was local band Moral Sense, who played largely to the mix desk as most people elected to stay in the bar area, steeling themselves for the headstrong onslaught of power metal that was to come. Their very middle-of-the-road deathmetalcore may've appealed to a crowd warming themselves up for some Shadows Fall or Lamb of God, but in a line-up made largely of over-the-top and overindulgent power metal, they seemed decidedly out-of-place and deeply uncomfortable with it. It's not that they were bad, per se, just so deeply unmemorable that even now, a mere couple of days after the gig itself, I can barely remember a single detail about their music; and that's not for the want of trying. They succeeded, at least, in breaking the monotony of the venue playlist that seemed to exist solely of Pantera (or Pantera-like) thrash, but unfortunately the band themselves were too incohesive and too full of indistinguishable shredding and vocals, that they largely remained totally forgettable. [4].
Thankfully, the other local band on the bill, Draegon, rectified things in most spectacular style. Their set, delayed by around 15 minutes by the occurrence of a fire alarm in the building through which no-one in the venue seemed to be worried about enough to actually leave the building, displayed a more developed, and confident, evolution of the band since I'd first seen them somewhere in 2007. Draegon deal in a very tasty mix of 80's metal, prog and traditional Maiden-tinged power metal, and play with confidence and songwriting ability that it's unusual for a band that seem so small and, not to offend, still relatively inexperienced. Through gross misfortune (and perhaps due to the untimely disruption of their pre-set soundcheck) their sound balance was all off-kilter, with keys, lead guitar and lead vocals swamping the rhythm and percussive sections, losing their lower-end sounds to such extent that much of the depth was lost. And while their re-invigoration of 80s sounds gives them a certain freshness that hasn't been heard since, oooh, 1985, one can't quite tell if they're serious or not about what they sing - Straddling both the 80s equivalents of hair and power metal, they seem split as to whether to continue their path of hair metal glory or weave a more progressive route, with half of the band dolled up in leather trousers and headbands while the rest strum away in Dream Theater t-shirts. As a musical package, they sound great and strike up great potential with some very good keyboard, guitar and vocal work; it's just that it feels like their on-stage presence needs more coherence, and more confidence. Still, a great support slot from a local band who're sure to grow with time, and one who I'll be watching with great interest. [7].
The penultimate band of the night were Scotland's Ascension, and if I'm honest, I really wanted to hate them. I wanted to hate them so much for their stupid photo-posing for fans; for the stupid LED lights on their guitars; for the way that the whole band totally wanted to sound like a DragonForce fronted by Bruce Dickinson. I wanted to scorn them for the unnecessary dual-guitar 'shred-off' between the two main guitarists a la every other power metal band that has existed; I wanted to pen a mindblastingly bad review about how they were trying so hard to be 'cool', with their on-stage stylings and off-stage jaunts into the audience (and even the bar area) whilst still playing their instruments; and even the utter stupidity of the two guitarists sitting atop the shoulders of two of their roadies during their final song and 'jousting' through the middle of the audience whilst shredding madly. Except, I can't. They were great. Almost disappointingly great that, as a reviewer who actually finds it very hard to fault the band despite the achingly-long list of things that "should" be wrong with them, the immense quality of their show means that one could barely witness it without leaving with a massive smile daubed aross face. Vocalist Richard Carnie is a powerful driving force fronting the band, laying down an impressive vocal range that bolsters the themes of battle, magic and brotherhood that the intelligent lyrics display. The classy guitar work from Stuart Docherty and Fraser Edwards exhibitioned the kind of shredding silliness that Sam Totman and Herman Li manage to pull off in DragonForce, but played with such confidence that despite the clear arrogance on show, it's instantly forgotten with the realisation that, like Totman and Li, they can really play. So, it's as their set ended and they departed to make way for the mighty Power Quest, it's with great expectation that one awaits their debut album sometime this year, in the hope that it's able to capture some of the furious class that their live show clearly shows off. A band to watch, this one. [8].
Last, but not least, were the mighty Power Quest themselves. Taking to the stage, as usual, to the intro to their phenomenal album Magic Never Dies, PQ are a band who're in a deep state of metamorphosis. Since their inception they've seen numerous line-up changes, but the amicable departure of several key members of the band during 2009 (including their long-standing and highly-respected vocalist Alessio Garavello) led to founding member and stalwart, keyboardist Steve Williams, securing a completely new line-up for the band and their final shows of 2009. Despite sterling efforts from all quarters, the band's short tour at the end of '09 with their new line-up saw a Power Quest that lacked the direction and force of their previous selves, with the new members of the band finding it difficult to break out from the shadows of their predecessors; particularly new vocalist Pete Morten (also guitarist in UK power metal heroes Threshold, and mind and music behind his solo project My Soliloquy), whose job at filling Garavello's huge shoes seemed insurmountable. Distinctly poor advertising from the venue itself (there were no posters for the gig anywhere, and it wasn't even listed on the Firehouse's page in the local Southampton Music magazine, the main place to look for live music listings) and the bitterly cold weather meant that Quest's hometown show was witnessed by only a handful of devoted followers - Energetic performances from all members were abound, but somehow the energy seemed to dissipate so greatly that PQ unfortunately seemed like a band still struggling to overcome the shock of losing much of their core.
Even so, it was for this brave return that the Joiners amped it up for PQ's first show of 2010, and instantly the altogether fresher-looking troupe launched into material from the first PQ album, referencing the band's heritage and affirming that, despite the new faces, the music would carry on as normal. 'Wings of Forever' started the show off perfectly, and it was clear to see a new energy invigorating the band; perhaps thanks to a short winter hiatus allowing the group to tighten up their playing and allow the new members time to learn the older material. Indeed, where their late '09 show focussed mainly on the band's most recent album smattered with a few of the classics, this time they plundered more from the vaults; lifting tracks from all over their back catalogue. As ever, Williams provides the backbone of the band, with his atmospheric keys and furious solos whisking the band along at a clattering rate while bass and drum duties were backed up perfectly by Paul Finnie and Rich Smith respectively. Young shredders Andrew Midgely and Ben Randall show ever more flair and star potential with each show, missing not a note all night despite the finger-breaking soloing duties their jobs entail. Sadly, though, the band are still left with the gaping Garavello-shaped hole that, despite appluadable efforts, replacement singer Morten cannot fill. Garavello's high-pitched squeals and confident tones that hoisted an enormous standard for the band seem almost out-of-reach for Morten, who struggles to find the vocal stamina to match the quality, intensity and pitch that his forebear seemed to pull off with ease. Currently, he lacks the confidence to either imitate or break out from his predecessor, and he seems ever-awkward and uncomfortable fronting a band for whom he shoulders their shared burden of reinvention and reemergence as Power Quest 2.0.
The songs, themselves, were as fabulous as ever; stirring tales of magic and lore from the earlier work mixed with more deep emotions that crop up on later material that typify the evolution of the band and Williams' song-writing. The Joiners sound quality somehow lost most of Williams' keys in the mire of poor mixing and amplification and drowned out Morten's words in favour of sounding out the galloping guitarwork and bass rhythms, but all complaints of sound quality seem miniscule in the face of such energy of a band who clearly revel in the devotion of their small, but perfectly-formed fanbase who turn out in any and all conditions to support the band on tour. It's always disappointing to see a great band playing to undeservedly small crowd, but if it bothered the band at all, they certainly didn't show it. Altogther, another classic show from an achingly great band, and I, for one, cannot wait for album number five and the next time they return. For the Quest! [9]
hahaha!All his reviews including this one can be found here - http://zinar7.livejournal.com/
Location: The Joiners, Southampton
Date: 12th February 2010
Support Acts: Moral Sense, Draegon, Ascension
And so it was on a cold, February eve when myself, and a few accomplices, began the epic trudge down to Southampton's premier alternative music venue to feast our ears and minds yet again for the onslaught of another epic night of delicious power metal headed up by Power Quest, whose location in close proximity of my local city of Southampton means that this is the third time that they've played here in little over a year. One of the best-loved 'unknowns' in the power metal archives, they always typify the 'underdogs' of the genre, who consisently put out albums of a deeply high standard, but who don't seem to have been graced with the widespread success that similar bands have enjoyed. Even so, it was for this, and their stunning live shows, that us warriors bravely tackled the freezing weather to march down to Southampton's premier alterntive music venue, The Joiners, to banquet on what would turn out a hugely enjoyable evening.
First up was local band Moral Sense, who played largely to the mix desk as most people elected to stay in the bar area, steeling themselves for the headstrong onslaught of power metal that was to come. Their very middle-of-the-road deathmetalcore may've appealed to a crowd warming themselves up for some Shadows Fall or Lamb of God, but in a line-up made largely of over-the-top and overindulgent power metal, they seemed decidedly out-of-place and deeply uncomfortable with it. It's not that they were bad, per se, just so deeply unmemorable that even now, a mere couple of days after the gig itself, I can barely remember a single detail about their music; and that's not for the want of trying. They succeeded, at least, in breaking the monotony of the venue playlist that seemed to exist solely of Pantera (or Pantera-like) thrash, but unfortunately the band themselves were too incohesive and too full of indistinguishable shredding and vocals, that they largely remained totally forgettable. [4].
Thankfully, the other local band on the bill, Draegon, rectified things in most spectacular style. Their set, delayed by around 15 minutes by the occurrence of a fire alarm in the building through which no-one in the venue seemed to be worried about enough to actually leave the building, displayed a more developed, and confident, evolution of the band since I'd first seen them somewhere in 2007. Draegon deal in a very tasty mix of 80's metal, prog and traditional Maiden-tinged power metal, and play with confidence and songwriting ability that it's unusual for a band that seem so small and, not to offend, still relatively inexperienced. Through gross misfortune (and perhaps due to the untimely disruption of their pre-set soundcheck) their sound balance was all off-kilter, with keys, lead guitar and lead vocals swamping the rhythm and percussive sections, losing their lower-end sounds to such extent that much of the depth was lost. And while their re-invigoration of 80s sounds gives them a certain freshness that hasn't been heard since, oooh, 1985, one can't quite tell if they're serious or not about what they sing - Straddling both the 80s equivalents of hair and power metal, they seem split as to whether to continue their path of hair metal glory or weave a more progressive route, with half of the band dolled up in leather trousers and headbands while the rest strum away in Dream Theater t-shirts. As a musical package, they sound great and strike up great potential with some very good keyboard, guitar and vocal work; it's just that it feels like their on-stage presence needs more coherence, and more confidence. Still, a great support slot from a local band who're sure to grow with time, and one who I'll be watching with great interest. [7].
The penultimate band of the night were Scotland's Ascension, and if I'm honest, I really wanted to hate them. I wanted to hate them so much for their stupid photo-posing for fans; for the stupid LED lights on their guitars; for the way that the whole band totally wanted to sound like a DragonForce fronted by Bruce Dickinson. I wanted to scorn them for the unnecessary dual-guitar 'shred-off' between the two main guitarists a la every other power metal band that has existed; I wanted to pen a mindblastingly bad review about how they were trying so hard to be 'cool', with their on-stage stylings and off-stage jaunts into the audience (and even the bar area) whilst still playing their instruments; and even the utter stupidity of the two guitarists sitting atop the shoulders of two of their roadies during their final song and 'jousting' through the middle of the audience whilst shredding madly. Except, I can't. They were great. Almost disappointingly great that, as a reviewer who actually finds it very hard to fault the band despite the achingly-long list of things that "should" be wrong with them, the immense quality of their show means that one could barely witness it without leaving with a massive smile daubed aross face. Vocalist Richard Carnie is a powerful driving force fronting the band, laying down an impressive vocal range that bolsters the themes of battle, magic and brotherhood that the intelligent lyrics display. The classy guitar work from Stuart Docherty and Fraser Edwards exhibitioned the kind of shredding silliness that Sam Totman and Herman Li manage to pull off in DragonForce, but played with such confidence that despite the clear arrogance on show, it's instantly forgotten with the realisation that, like Totman and Li, they can really play. So, it's as their set ended and they departed to make way for the mighty Power Quest, it's with great expectation that one awaits their debut album sometime this year, in the hope that it's able to capture some of the furious class that their live show clearly shows off. A band to watch, this one. [8].
Last, but not least, were the mighty Power Quest themselves. Taking to the stage, as usual, to the intro to their phenomenal album Magic Never Dies, PQ are a band who're in a deep state of metamorphosis. Since their inception they've seen numerous line-up changes, but the amicable departure of several key members of the band during 2009 (including their long-standing and highly-respected vocalist Alessio Garavello) led to founding member and stalwart, keyboardist Steve Williams, securing a completely new line-up for the band and their final shows of 2009. Despite sterling efforts from all quarters, the band's short tour at the end of '09 with their new line-up saw a Power Quest that lacked the direction and force of their previous selves, with the new members of the band finding it difficult to break out from the shadows of their predecessors; particularly new vocalist Pete Morten (also guitarist in UK power metal heroes Threshold, and mind and music behind his solo project My Soliloquy), whose job at filling Garavello's huge shoes seemed insurmountable. Distinctly poor advertising from the venue itself (there were no posters for the gig anywhere, and it wasn't even listed on the Firehouse's page in the local Southampton Music magazine, the main place to look for live music listings) and the bitterly cold weather meant that Quest's hometown show was witnessed by only a handful of devoted followers - Energetic performances from all members were abound, but somehow the energy seemed to dissipate so greatly that PQ unfortunately seemed like a band still struggling to overcome the shock of losing much of their core.
Even so, it was for this brave return that the Joiners amped it up for PQ's first show of 2010, and instantly the altogether fresher-looking troupe launched into material from the first PQ album, referencing the band's heritage and affirming that, despite the new faces, the music would carry on as normal. 'Wings of Forever' started the show off perfectly, and it was clear to see a new energy invigorating the band; perhaps thanks to a short winter hiatus allowing the group to tighten up their playing and allow the new members time to learn the older material. Indeed, where their late '09 show focussed mainly on the band's most recent album smattered with a few of the classics, this time they plundered more from the vaults; lifting tracks from all over their back catalogue. As ever, Williams provides the backbone of the band, with his atmospheric keys and furious solos whisking the band along at a clattering rate while bass and drum duties were backed up perfectly by Paul Finnie and Rich Smith respectively. Young shredders Andrew Midgely and Ben Randall show ever more flair and star potential with each show, missing not a note all night despite the finger-breaking soloing duties their jobs entail. Sadly, though, the band are still left with the gaping Garavello-shaped hole that, despite appluadable efforts, replacement singer Morten cannot fill. Garavello's high-pitched squeals and confident tones that hoisted an enormous standard for the band seem almost out-of-reach for Morten, who struggles to find the vocal stamina to match the quality, intensity and pitch that his forebear seemed to pull off with ease. Currently, he lacks the confidence to either imitate or break out from his predecessor, and he seems ever-awkward and uncomfortable fronting a band for whom he shoulders their shared burden of reinvention and reemergence as Power Quest 2.0.
The songs, themselves, were as fabulous as ever; stirring tales of magic and lore from the earlier work mixed with more deep emotions that crop up on later material that typify the evolution of the band and Williams' song-writing. The Joiners sound quality somehow lost most of Williams' keys in the mire of poor mixing and amplification and drowned out Morten's words in favour of sounding out the galloping guitarwork and bass rhythms, but all complaints of sound quality seem miniscule in the face of such energy of a band who clearly revel in the devotion of their small, but perfectly-formed fanbase who turn out in any and all conditions to support the band on tour. It's always disappointing to see a great band playing to undeservedly small crowd, but if it bothered the band at all, they certainly didn't show it. Altogther, another classic show from an achingly great band, and I, for one, cannot wait for album number five and the next time they return. For the Quest! [9]
