"Survive"

HAven't heard Survive yet, I forgot where it's available? can somebody give me the link?

Edit. nvm. I found it. gonna hear now.
 
Hi all! Time for my monthly post haha!

Just listened to Survive for the first time... wow. I'll admit I was apprehensive; to me Power Quest has always been a band full of Italians, a Kiwi and a Welshman, all eating more pasta for more power! So of course the idea of a completely new line up bar Steve was a worrying thought; I didn't want to think I'd be listening to a Power Quest cover band. I'm delighted to say, that this was far from the case and is a testament to Steve's writing ability and style, along with a band of very talented musicians. It is, a totally evolved, updated and exciting sound, whilst still retaining that power quest magic. If you’d have told me it was a new, unknown band, I would have immediately suggested a tour with Power Quest!

One of the biggest changes to a line-up, in my opinion, is the change of a vocalist. It can change the whole feel on the band. Having heard Chitral Somapala on some of the albums he’s worked on previously, as well as seeing him perform live with Firewind (at a Power Quest gig!) I thought he would fit the bill perfectly. He did not disappoint, and comes across as a strong new front-man for The Quest! It will be very interesting to see him live again, tackling the old power quests classic high notes: “Temple of Fiiiiiiiiiii-yaaarghhhhhh!!!!”

The drumming is spot on; when the beat kicks in 12 seconds in It was distinctly Power Quest. Congrats to Rich Smith for pulling the stops out here!

Steve, I know all too well that you can pen a catchy melody, so no praise for you! Haha! I'm kidding! In parts Survive reminded me of “Wings of Forever” era PQ. Especially the sweeping solos. Was this intentional at all? The backing vocals are becoming a really clean, strong aspect and I hope they feature on the rest of the album. Oh and the keyboard intro- excellent return to form! I’m tempted to say this may be your best work yet. The chords strengthen the chorus really well, and the whole song is very uplifting. And that’s before taking the lyrics into account! Also, epic keychange!

Paul Finnie’s galloping bassline is evident throughout the song, prominent, with strong interplay between bass and the other guitars. Well played, and speedy!

I’m afraid I don’t know which of the guys doing the guitar bits, but Gaven Owen and Andy Midgley have done excellently stepping into the Power Quest shoes! Excellent dual guitar work, the solos, bridges, and riffing (riffage?!) is all exactly of the standard I’ve come to expect from Power Quest and in some places, exceeds it. Very speedy around 3:45, very catchy and above all, fun. Something which so many bands are missing and Power Quest never fails to deliver on.

Righto, that's my thoughts in a nutshell...

Remember...

"After all is said and done... There’s nothing left to lose!" :headbang:
 
Welcome back Lord Tonberry! Great to hear ya dude......and many thanks for the awesome feedback, very comprehensive and much appreciated!

I think once you get to hear the rest of the record you will start to tell which solo is Gav and which is Andy :)
 
Hey Ton, good to see your monthly presence and good to see your opinions match my own uncannily. Spot on description. Espeically the evolved yet signature point and the WoF era sound. My only criticism might be Rich's drumming sounding a bit too splashy at times, but it's negligible.
 
I think the new band members have rejuvenated me and brought a whole new sense of urgency to the band which I think can be heard in the music!



@Vocalixx the song is great. PQ did a great job :worship:



@Symphony I think PQ fans will agree with your statement. Most bands call it quits once members quit, and I'm glad that you prevented PQ from quitting/disbanding altogether. :headbang:
 
The only other time I've seen such an energy in a comeback like this was with Fairyland's last album. Great to see it!
 
Man I cannot wait to get this album, its currently in the post. But I will "Survive" while it ships I guess, not that you can find it on any piracy sites yet haha
 
Survive. Wow... a whole new band.
So many things to say about this, it's so different to the old PQ. I'm a massive fan of the old PQ and alessios' vox, so this is always gonna be a hard one for me to get an objective opinion.
Chity's voice is much less high, but I like his vocals a lot& they suit the band well. The production- well, lets make no bones about it. It sounds like DF. Especially the drum sounds & level of reverb on the vox. Overproduced to my tastes. It's still enjoyable, but doesn't quite have the same charm and honesty as previous PQ records. But for the DF fans... what with DF dead on the water atm... this might be the stopgap purchase they need until the next release. (I dislike DF's music personally, do not find it catchy). Commercial success could rear it's golden head.
The intro is so 'Glory Tonight'. Makes me smile a lot.
Soloing is good. Strikes an interesting middle ground between WoF and MoI. Especially here, need to hear the whole album.
Have heard the teasers on youtube, can't wait to hear the whole of 'Glorious'
I hope this bigger, bolder sounding PQ fulfils your ambitions & desires, steve & the rest of the guys :)
 
well, lets make no bones about it. It sounds like DF.

Eh? I don't hear the similarities in drum sounds or reverb on the vocal track for that matter :/ But I always find a comparison to DF is flawed from the outset and something which haunts PQ like a bad smell.

The intro is so 'Glory Tonight'. Makes me smile a lot.

With you on that. Always love that keyboard riffing vs rhythm guitars sound. :headbang:
 
Allusions between PQ and DF, I suppose it's inevitable, and I hate to do it myself (I like PQ a million times more). But as soon as I heard that triggered, hard-hitting studio-drum sound I thought 'DF'. Especially with the (edited for spoiler)-beat sections I heard on the youtube long sample. Chity's vocals, I'm still getting used to them but I like them. Lots of reverb. I do feel it compliments the vox however, rather than masking them.

I'll probably change my mind after repeated listens to the whole cd anyway :) I sure hated MoI's production when I first heard it and now I love that album :)

Now this is gonna be controversial and I don't wanna start a huge debate on it, but I can't wait until someone puts the whole thing on youtube. Youtube is crap quality but it will give me a better idea of what the whole album is like. So many times I have gotten into a band/album on youtube and then bought the CD or paid to download the full-quality tracks- which is so important especially in metal when you need high quality to be able to blast at high volume! Youtube allows you to get into lesser-known bands you never would have found, I've found so many bands I love today- PQ included- via youtube.
 
But since you already like Power Quest, why not just buy the album without waiting to hear it without paying?

It'd be nice if my copy arrived today since it's my birthday, but the chances of that are... well, not good :lol: