• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

October 2024

• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive (Tommy Denander): Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

July 2024

• Ironflame: Kingdom Torn Asunder
• Spektra: Hypnotized
• (Michael) Palace: Reckless Heart
• Mr. Big: Ten
• Dark Mile: Dark Mile

June 2024

• Kaipa: Sommargryningsljus
• Sunbomb: Light Up The Sky
• Seven Spires: A Fortress Called Home
• Atlantic: Another World
• Xeneris: Eternal Rising
• New Horizon: Conquerors
• Issa: Another World

May 2024

• Rhapsody Of Fire: Challenge The Wind
• Cloven Hoof: Heathen Cross
• Perseus: Into The Silence
• Yes: Talk (1994/2024) Reissue
• Marty Friedman: Drama
• Demon: Invincible
• The Treatment: Wake Up The Neighbourhood
• The Tangent: To Follow Polaris
• Riot V: Mean Streets
• Anette Olzon: Rapture
• FM: Old Habits Die Hard

[ More Music Reviews ]

Odd Dimension: The Last Embrace to Humanity

Progressive Metal

4.5/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter YouTube
Scarlet Records
by Craig Hartranft,  03.17.2013

Italy's Odd Dimension burst on the progressive metal in 2011 with their surprising and entertaining debut album Symmetrical. Most of the intrigue came from both from their creativity and accessible complexity of their prog, generated from prior experimentation with various metal and rock genres.

Odd Dimension:: lean this way.

Their sophomore release, The Last Embrace to Humanity continues to reflect some of that experimentation. The album might even be a tale of two discs. The previous release, generally, was more heavier prog metal and so is this one, notably at the start. The Unknown King, Under My Creed, and Dissolving into the World are a rush of ambitious and blistering prog. You find this at the end as well in Far from Desires.

But what's in between is a bit different. Not everything here is always heavy; it's more subtle and nuanced when it comes. It's So Late, which features Michele Luppi (Vision Divine, Secret Sphere), nears more melodic, though heavier, progressive rock. Another Time and Fortune and Pain, which follow, seems to want to invoke heavy metal but in the end turns on a stirring metal-rock fusion. The latter third of Fortune and Pain, notable in the guitar, sounds like metal-jazz fusion. The New Line of Times takes all these things, abandons the aggressive metal, and develops an epic song of pure melodic prog metal.

Not dismissing the other songs, but these four songs are strength and surprise of The Last Embrace to Humanity. They also show once more the impressive talent and creativity of Odd Dimension. But we knew that already, didn't we. Easily recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

There's no sophomore jinx here. Odd Dimension's The Last Embrace to Humanity is another creative and appealing record of progressive metal by a talented band.

Alphabetical Index

By far, Sweden's Eclipse is one of my favorite bands. Always consistent and always entertaining, Eclipse has been delivering their 21st century version of melodic metal rock since songwriter, producer ... [ Read More ]