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New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
March 2020
- Spell: Opulent Decay
- Lost Legacy: In The Name Of Freedom
- Liar: Sunset Plaza Drive
- Ivanhoe: Blood And Gold
- The Oneira: Injection
- The Unity: Pride
- Gotthard: #13
- Deadrisen: Deadrisen
- David Reece: Cacophony Of Souls
- Black Hawk: Destination Hell
- Ambush: Infidel
- Askvader: Askvader
- Semblant: Obscura
- Ross The Boss: Born Of Fire
- Novena: Eleventh Hour
- Khymera: Master Of Illusions
- Harem Scarem: Change The World
- Grand Design: V
- Burning Witches: Dance With The Devil
- Allen/Olzon: Worlds Apart
February 2020
- Wishbone Ash: Coat Of Arms
- Stallion: Slaves Of Time
- Shakra: Mad World
- Shaft Of Steel: Steel Heartbeat
- Nils Patrik Johansson: The Great Conspiracy
- Jesse Damon: Damon's Rage
- Confess: Burn 'Em All
- Terrifiant: Terrifiant
- Starmen: Welcome To My World
- Robert Hart: Pure
- Waiting For Monday: Waiting For Monday
- Seven Spires: Emerald Seas
- Psychotic Waltz: The God-Shaped Void
- Re-Machined: Wheels Of Time
- Pain City: Rock And Roll Hearts
- Black Swan: Shake The World
- Archon Angel: Fallen
- Anvil: Legal At Last
- Ironflame: Blood Red Victory
- Nightfear: Apocalypse
Ashent: Inheritance
Ashent: Inheritance
Progressive Metal
3.5/5.0
With 2009's Deconstructive, Italian metal band Ashent attempted to break from European power metal mold with a more progressive sound. Largely, they succeeded, although it was sometimes uneven. This year's Inheritance builds upon that foundation as Ashent tries press farther into the realm of progressive metal.
Ashent: putting the big guy up front.
Again, generally, they have succeeded. Some of the success comes from a new lead vocalist, Titta Tani, who is a quite versatile singer and arranger. Additionally, Ashent have made their arrangements more technical, even complex, adding sequencers, synths, some sax inserts, orchestral parts, and choirs.
Sometimes, however, this attempt at invention and complexity blows back on them. Songs like Eve, Shipwrecked Affair, and Spider's Nest are so thick that it sounds like there are several songs overlapping one another in the same arrangement. Some of this may be due to the mix, but I doubt it. Conversely La Danzatrice Scalza has the complete opposite feeling. It's nearly perfect prog, interestingly, but not severely, technical, and simply delightful to the ears. Actually, Ashent seems to better when they're not trying to fill a song with a trick in their bag. Renaissance and the closing instrumental Labyrinthique are entertaining in their lack of complexity.
Yet, overall, Inheritance Inheritance continues to deepen the Ashent's exploration into more complex progressive metal, but sometimes with mixed results. Recommended.
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In Short
Overall, Inheritance continues to deepen the Ashent's exploration into more complex progressive metal, but sometimes with mixed results.
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Every three to five years German metal legends Ivanhoe return to the studio. But their latest and eighth studio album, Blood And Gold comes with some personnel changes, adding new guitarist Lars Vogtle and ... [ Read More ]
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