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April 2024

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[ More Music Reviews ]

Khymera: Master Of Illusions

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR

4.5/5.0

Website
Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 07.03.2020 | Released: 06.03.2020

We all know Dennis Ward: vocalist, bass player, producer, and one of the busiest dudes in the melodic hard rock and metal universe. Since the release of the last Khymera album in 2015, The Grand Design, Ward has dropped albums with his original band Pink Cream 69, Place Vendrome, Panaroma, Gus G, Magnum, and some Russian comrade from a Fyodor Dostoevsky novel, Alekseevskaya Ploshchad. I really think there's more than one of the guy, like he passed himself through Calvin and Hobbes' transmorgrifier to clone himself. But it's good to busy. Now Ward returns with another Khymera project, Master Of Illusions, which features the returning Peter Newdeck (Eden's Curse, Issa, et al) on drums. Newdeck added backing vocals on the previous Khymera album, and I suspect he maybe doing so again.

Dennis Ward

With that hefty introduction, we can move on to the music. Considering his better than 30 year history, we know what to expect from Dennis Ward and Khymera: melodic hard rock, sparked with a metal edge, and clothed in an AOR wrapper. To expand upon this, you can add the familiar flavors of riff and vocal harmony, vibrant rock rhythm and groove, strong song melody, clever and catchy refrains, a slather of synth embellishment, and soaring guitar solos. Above all these things rises Dennis Ward's strong and assertive, yet melodic and clean, vocal presence. It's the perfect storm for some fine AOR melodic metal rock. On to a sampling of tunes ...

Some straight up AOR riff raging, and damn catchy, melodic hard rock listen for Walk Away, The Sun Goes Down, Victim Of Your Love, and Master Of Illusions. Synths wiggle their warmth into the starts of Paradise and The Rhythm Of My Life giving both some Eighties AOR temperament. The latter song increases the AOR warmth with sweet melody and vocal harmony, topped by a fine chorus. Synths twisted with acoustic and electric guitar lead Father To Son, a fine and inspiring rock ballad with the requisite rising guitar solo crescendo.

Simply said, Khymera's Master Of Illusions is another signature album of Dennis Ward's consistent and entertaining AOR melodic hard rock. Easily recommended.

Nils Patrik Johansson: The Great Conspiracy

Heavy Power Metal

4.0/5.0

When vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson is not fronting his other bands, Astral Doors and Lion's Share, he finds time to record a solo album. In 2018 he dropped his ... [ Read More ]

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

Khymera's Master Of Illusions is another signature album of Dennis Ward's consistent and entertaining AOR melodic hard rock. Easily recommended. Get it.

Alphabetical Index

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]