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Infinity Overture: The Infinite Overture Part 1
Infinity Overture The Infinite Overture Part 1 album new music review

Infinity Overture: The Infinite Overture

Melodic Heavy/Power/Progressive Metal
3.75/5.0

Change should be a good thing. Or let's hope so. With his second release, The Infinite Overture Part 1, Danish guitar wizard Neils Vejlyt offers a different direction. First, the symphonic metal of 2009's Kingdom of Utopia is gone. Then enter a new female vocalist, Kimmie Tenna Nielsen. Also, The Infinite Overture Part 1, to some listeners, may sound heavier and more guitar driven, and they would have a strong argument. Maestro Vejlyt also adds some fine guest talent: Fabio Lione (Rhapsody Of Fire) and the ubiquitous Amanda Somerville (Epica, Kamelot, etc). Additionally, capitulating to current trends Vejlyt adds death metal growls on several songs from Simon Holm (Smoke and Mirrors, Darkness of Mind, Evernight) and Hjalte Sejr Bertelsen (Smoke and Mirrors). What's the point? I'm not sure, except for commercial viability. And they suck big time on Smoke and Mirrors!

Ultimately, the focus of The Infinite Overture Part 1 is upon Neils Vejlyt exceptional neo-classical guitar skills and song composition. For his part, Mr. Vejlyt is devastingly impressive: The Hunger, Evernight, and Secrets are massive applications of his exceptional talent. Ms Nielsen is equally impressive: Secrets, Angels, and Darkness of Mind are generous venues for her remarkable talents. Mostly The Infinite Overture Part 1 is pure melodic heavy metal with strong accents of power and progressive. But Back from the Past turns on more melodic hard rock ballad (and some nods to symphonic notes from the previous album).

My first gut level reaction was to dismiss The Infinite Overture Part 1 as a grand canvas for Neils Vejlyt's fret work, and on the whole it is. But there is more to this recording than meets the ears. With multiple listens, I was intrigued.




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In Short

My first gut level reaction was to dismiss The Infinite Overture Part 1 as a grand canvas for Neils Vejlyt's fret work, and on the whole it is. But there is more to this recording than meets the ears. With multiple listens, I was intrigued.

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