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New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
06.16.13
- Diemakers, The: Detroit Recordings (EP)
- Seconds Before Landing: The Great Deception
- Gama Bomb: The Terror Tapes
- Collateral Damage: The Carnival
- Rebellious Spirit: Gamble Shot
- Edenbridge: The Bonding
- Mockingbird: Live Cuts
- Infinita Symphonia: Infinita Symphonia
- Dark Moor: Ars Musica
06.09.13
- Morse, Tim: Faithscience
- Angels of Babylon: Thundergod
- Hand of God: The Hand of God
- Scientic: Empire of the Mind
- Death Dealer: War Master
- Tangerine Stoned: Tangerine Stoned
- Masterplan: Novum Initium
- Amberian Dawn: Re-Evolution
- Arrayan Path: IV - Stigmata
- Famous Underground: Famous Underground
06.02.13
- Burning Rain: Epic Obsession
- Headless: Growing Apart
- Sandstone: Delta Viridian
- Iron Kingdom: Gates of Eternity
- Mean Streak: Trial By Fire
- Chasing Violets: Jade Hearts
- Magnus Karlsson's Freefall: S/T
- Jorn: Traveller
05.26.13
- Tolerance: When Time Stops
- Spock's Beard: Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
- Rhapsody of Fire: Live - From Chaos to Eternity
- Overtures: Entering the Maze
- Shock: Once Denied
- Schemata Theory: Dry Lung Rhetoric
- Cynthesis: ReEvolution
- Neuronspoiler: Emergence
- The Burning Crows: Behind the Veil
- Stargate: Reborn
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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