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New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
August 2018
- Doro: Forever Warriors
- Doro: Forever United
- Artizan: Demon Rider
- Zero Down: Larger Than Death
- Primal Fear: Apocalypse
- Midnight Force: Dunsinane
- King Company: Queen Of Hearts
- Enuff Znuff: Diamond Boy
- Airrace: Untold Stories
- 3.2: The Rules Have Changed
- Mad Max: 35
- Mystery: Lies And Butterflies
July 2018
- Manticora: To Live To Kil To Live
- Halcyon Way: Bloody But Unbowed
- Derdian: DNA
- Cryonic Temple: Deliverance
- Wretch: Reborn (Reissue)
- Dee Snider: For The Love Of Metal
- Epica: Attack On Titan (EP)
- Two Of A Kind: Rise
- Graham Bonnet Band: Meanwhile, Back In The Garage
- Johnny Gioeli & Deen Castronovo: Set The World On Fire
- Destinia: Metal Souls
- Clif Magness: Lucky Dog
- Kissin' Dynamite: Ecstasy
June 2018
- Paulo Barros: More Humanity Please
- Code Red Riot: Mask
- Open Burn: Divine Intermission
- Stormwitch: Bound To The Witch
- The Night Flight Orchestra: Sometimes The World Ain't Enough
- Crystal Viper: At The Edge Of Time EP
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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