Recent Reviews

05.21.12

05.14.12

05.07.12

[ More Music Reviews ]


Halcyon Way: IndoctriNation
Halcyon Way IndoctriNation album new music review

Halcyon Way: IndoctriNation

Progressive Power/Thrash Metal
4.0/5.0

Nightmare Records
Website Facebook Twitter MySpace
by Craig Hartranft,  10.10.2011

Following on the heels of their significant and entertaining Building the Towers (2010), Atlanta's Halcyon Way returns with their third release IndoctriNation. To be clear, IndoctriNation contains only five new songs. The album is made complete by a cover of Stand Up, the Sammy Hagar/Steel Dragon song made popular in the film Rock Star, a radio edit of The Age of Betrayal from Building the Towers, and a remix of The System (from the same album), an experiment in industrial metal.

Halcyon Way band photo

Above: Halcyon Way shows that black is the new black.

To the former, the five new songs, expect Halcyon Way's expert mixture of thrash and power metal in a prog context with bold melodies and efficient vocal harmonies. For Black Wings, the intro and outro, offer a intense mixture of melodic death power metal with growling vocals. The death vocals return for accent on the title track. Most songs move at a generous clip invigorated by an uncanny amount of melodic riffage, another Halcyon Way trademark. Of course, Jon Bodan rips off some fine solos throughout but, for a reason I can't put my finger on, he seems sedated or understated, on some tracks. Yet, listening to him on Our Finest Hour makes this observation a marginal one. With little doubt, the new songs are best thing about IndoctriNation.

Regarding the latter material, I'm not sure what to make of the Stand Up cover. Somehow it doesn't have that gritty swagger of the film version. For The Age of Betraya:l just get out your copy of Building the Towers (2010), and enjoy. The industrial remix of The System was actually appealing, and clever, even for this non-fan of the genre. Ultimately, I would have preferred three more new songs to round out this album.

Halcyon Way's Indoctrination is solid follow up to previous material, presenting their engaging mixture of melodic power and thrash metal in a prog context. But, it would have been better with several more original songs, rather than filler.







In Short

Halcyon Way's Indoctrination is solid follow up to previous material, presenting their engaging mixture of melodic power and thrash metal in a prog context. But, it would have been better with several more original songs, rather than filler.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
Loading
It's Only Rock n Roll

My childhood was safe and sane. No abuse and no traumas. I was surrounded by a large and loving family who taught me the importance of hard work and a meaningful education.
   Ronnie James Dio

Lyrically I like to use themes that make the listener use his or her imagination, and to give a little of the lessons I've learned in my own life.
   Ronnie James Dio