Untouchable Failure

BY Resonance Room

(Customer Reviews)

$17.00

$ 10.20

SKU: ECHO88

Label:

My Kingdom Music

: Category:
Gothic Metal

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Second album from this superb Italian gloom and doom band. Resonance Room model their sound after Katatonia, early Anathema and Opeth with some progressive nods to bands like Porcupine Tree and Riverside. All clean, angst driven vocals with grinding guitars and more riffing than you can shake a stick at. If the Swedish moody gothic sound is your thing you need to check it out. Highly recommended.

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Power Metal

Deluxe digibook edition with one bonus track. Please note - other versions will be available shortly."Previewing their tenth album "Beyond the Red Mirror" with the previously-released "Twilight of the Gods" EP, German power-symphonic metal maestros BLIND GUARDIAN capitalize on a long break with an encompassing and magical effort. For "Beyond the Red Mirror", the band worked with three different worldwide choirs from Budapest, Prague and Boston, along with two full-scale orchestras bearing 90 members apiece. The results are as larger-than-life as the band intended, fleshing out a sci-fi and fantasy piece bridged to their 1995 album, "Imaginations from the Other Side".As "Twilight of the Gods" (one of only two songs to clock in beneath five minutes) proved to ring like a broad-scoped, QUEEN-esque musical sonnet, the rest of "Beyond the Red Mirror" is simply massive. Beginning and ending with two epics that roll at 9:29 each, this album plays like BLIND GUARDIAN's reach for a masterpiece, and they practically hit it.You couldn't ask for a more breath-stealing intro with the gusting chorus opening the expansive "The Ninth Wave", a song stuffed as much with electronica buzzes and defined guitar lines as there are swarming voices. Hansi Kürsch, one of the best metal vocalists in the business, is nearly secondary to the enthralling choral tides that introduce and conclude the track. This could've been a near-ten-minute EP unto itself, that's how conclusive and meticulous the song is structured.The decorative harpsichord setting off "Prophecies" is a delicious intro for André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen to plow through successions of IRON MAIDEN-derived chords and marching progressions. Why BLIND GUARDIAN gets away with it is due to the incredible vocal outpourings around them. Again, the majestic theater aspect of QUEEN plays into this track as much as IRON MAIDEN and it's the proficiency behind the delivery that makes "Prophecies" sing instrumentally on top of the wondrous voices around it. Equally enchanting is "At the Edge of Time", which keeps a frolicking back beat and spritely orchestral accompaniment behind Frederik Ehmke's gradual stamp. The delicate measures BLIND GUARDIAN puts behind the thrusting march of "At the Edge of Time" are astonishing to behold, no matter how many symphonic metal albums you've been exposed to.The swift "Ashes of Eternity" gusts on the heels of Frederik Ehmke's fluid pounding, the breezing guitars and Hansi Kürsch's vocals, which toughen to full snarls at times, but never fail to exhale with full conviction. The gorgeous backing vocals add to "Ashes of Eternity"'s tireless drafts. Even more vigorous is "The Holy Grail" thereafter, which does HELLOWEEN and GAMMA RAY proud, much less HAMMERFALL and MANOWAR with its hurricane-speed tale of valor. Let the musical echoes of battle always sound this powerful.The 7:56 "The Throne" is a metal opera unto itself while serving the album's overall goal in sweeping the listener from one riveting plane to another, transitioning the twenty years between "Imaginations from the Other Side" and this album. "The Throne" works a little harder to find its spark as the band and orchestral pieces thicken up the longer the piece rolls, but Hansi Kürsch valorously leads the way and put to the stage, this piece should sound even bigger, so long as all of its recorded parts are presented live.What can be safely assumed is that the album's carnival-esque finale, "Grand Parade" will make it to their live forum. Cited by André Olbrich as the best song BLIND GUARDIAN has ever written, there's substance to this claim as it rolls, romps and cascades with all the gala these guys can load up. "Grand Parade" is a cheerful promenade for much of the ride with a thundering chorus ushering it along until a dramatic change in tone arrives with the first guitar solo, altering the course toward a valiant and clamorous bang. A return to the battle front with power metal thrusts and cinematic orchestration ram the song back to its original celebratory cavalcade for a triumphant finale. Indeed, this is the best song BLIND GUARDIAN has conceived. Phenomenal.With no disrespect intended to their contemporaries, BLIND GUARDIAN delivers symphonic metal of the highest art on "Beyond the Red Mirror". How far these guys have come since "Battalions of Fear" is not only remarkable, it's tremendous. As Hansi Kürsch has described the story behind this album, the red mirror is a representative, lone-standing portal to purported salvation and it must be found at all costs. What BLIND GUARDIAN has found with this album is inspirational and it's inexcusable the Grammy committee has long kept a sightless eye toward these virtuosi of metal music." - Blabbermouth
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Six Minute Century
Wasting Time

Melodic Metal

"Houston, Texas is the place that the group who go by the name of Six Minute Century call home. Six Minute Century have a new album Wasting Time and it's one that comes with some serious hooks courtesy of guitarist Don LaFon. This melodic power/progressive group's well received debut Time Capsule introduced us to Six Minute Century in 2008 so it has been quite a long period between albums for fans of that release, but now the wait for their sophomore release is over.The first thing that I noticed about this group was the soaring vocals of Chuck Williams that is in a John Arch kind of way and fans of the heavier side of Fates Warning should give Six Minute Century a go. His approach totally suits the intriguing metal of Wasting Time, Six Minute Century is also group with very competent musicians the bass and drums really give Six Minute Century a hard driving sound not to mention some dynamic performances of their own along the way.Six Minute Century aren't afraid to put their bass player Michael "Dr. Froth" Millsap in the spotlight like on the instrumental "Czardas" and you can soon tell why as this guy is impressive, he also puts in a very nice introduction to "Last Days in Paradise". Two mid tempo songs that easily won me over thanks in a large part to guitarist Don LaFon are "Just Remains" and "The Killing Fields" these aren't the only memorable songs Six Minute Century have on Wasting Time but they certainly do reel you in promptly. Six Minute Century have a real knack at writing songs that entice you back again and again.Six Minute Century are onto something very agreeable here, and yes while their debut Time Capsule was quite good this new album Wasting Time shows a band that have lifted their game and the results are much more impressive." - Sea Of Tranquility
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Cherry Five
IL Pozzo Dei Giganti

Progressive Rock

By now everyone knows that Cherry Five was the precursor to Goblin before they signed with Cinevox. Original drummer Carlo Bordini (of Rustichelli - Bordini fame) and vocalist Tony Tartarini have formed a new version of the band. Bordini and Tartarini have enlisted Taproban keyboardist Gianluca De Rossi and rounded out the lineup with Ludovico Piccinini (guitar) and Pino Sallusti (bass).So the obvious question is - how is it? Its a two part answer. First off its 40 years since the first Cherry Red album was recorded. This sounds nothing at all like Cherry Red or Goblin. Tartarini sings in Italian and the music doesn't have the Yes vibe that the original lineup had. But the second part is actually good news. The music is a three part conceptual work with epic length tracks. This fits right into the RPI ("Rock Progressivo Italiano" for those that don't know) vein. Like his work with the terribly underrated Taproban, De Rossi is the focal point of the band's sound. Piccinini's guitar tone is a bit modern sounding for the vibe they are trying for but its got a dark energy that fits in well with the keys. This one's going to be a grower and an easy recommendation.
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Jupiter Society
Terraforma ($3 Special)

Metal/Hard Rock

$3.00

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Moonlight Circus
Madness in Mask

Progressive Metal

"The Italian Progressive Metal band MOONLIGHT CIRCUS was born long ago in 1998, it occurred when former BLACK JESTER’s (they released an album called “Welcome To The Moonlight Circus” in ‘96) members Paolo Viani (lead guitar) and Alberto Masiero on drums teamed up with Vocalist Alex Secchi, Gianluca Tassi (bass), and talented Keyboardist Daniele Soravia. Their first album, "Outskirts of Reality", was published in 2000 by 99th Floor/Elevate Records and was buried under the tons of low key Prog Metal releases that were crowded on the market back at that time.This album was full of quality but it was ignored and followed by a long silence, but the group remains active and after some twist in the line-up, and some hard times in finding the new members, Max Zanatta (vocals) and Salvatore Bonaccorso (drums) are finally fitting well with the core of the original formation. In between, both Paolo & Daniele played with William J. Tsamis’s WARLORD as live musicians for the comeback tour. The sound of the new album is still clearly tagged by the 90’s Progressive Metal with some weird atmospheres, bombastic arrangements, harmonized choirs and a strong focus on the melodic hooks think HOUSE OF SPIRIT meets Late SAVATAGE meets ROUGH SILK and updated with some subtle Neo-Classical influences that reminds me compatriots of ARACHNES.The short opening track “Follia” and the subsequent cut right after are displaying a strong Romantic & Baroque feel before kicking into a Malmsteenian hi-speed riffage in the legendary RISING FORCE’s “Trilogy”/“Odyssey” fashion, this song is however the sole True Neo Classical tune but I love it , the remaining numbers are less typical, and way more complex or Proggy (“Twilight Sky” & “Wind Of Solitude” are utterly impressive too ). “Mountain Of Madness” brings something still very intense but more intriguing in the contemporary LABYRYNTH powerful way, with fast pace and haunted layers of vocals.The playing level is really high and the creative ideas are numerous, unfortunately the production is a little in the sub standards of the sound quality of most of their contestants, but anyway the listening experience is still rich and entertaining, most of the time the vocals are very good, and quite a bit theatrical and the duality between the keys and lead shredding guitar parts are spectacular and dynamic.As a fan of many legendary acts & repositories that was mentioned before, it was another great encounter for me…The fresh 2014 year, seems once again exciting with those upcoming releases, a flow in an high caliber category… Enjoy." - Metal Temple
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Lullabies In A Car Crash

Progressive Rock

Bjorn Riis isn't exactly a household name but if you are a fan of the Norwegian band Airbag he's more familiar than you realize. Riis is the band's lead guitarist. For his debut solo album he's enlisted members of Airbag in all aspects of the production. Riis himself says that the sound doesn't stray too far from Airbag but its a more personal affair. This is pretty accurate. Riis is an avowed disciple of David Gilmour. In fact he set up a website dedicated to Gilmour and his iconic (and easily recognizable) guitar sound.Many aspects of Airbag's three albums owe a heavy debt to Pink Floyd and Riis' solo album fits neatly into the same box. The album consists of six tracks - three of which run 10+ minutes. The easiest and most concise way to describe "Lullabies" is that it sounds like a head on collision between Wish You Were Here and The Division Bell. Nothing wrong with that! BUY OR DIE!
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Circle II Circle
Delusions of Grandeur

Metal/Hard Rock

Another winner from this fine Savatage offshoot.
$15.00

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Knight Area
Hyperdrive

Progressive Rock

Hyperdrive marks a new era for Knight Area. The long running Dutch progressive rock band had previously released four studio albums and toured Europe and USA extensively, performing at all major prog rock festivals. 1n 2012 the band welcomed guitarist Mark Bogert as well as legendary bassist Peter Vink (Q65, Finch, Ayreon) into the fold. With these newcomers onboard, Knight Area introduced a heavier element and fuller sound to their repertoire. All the classic symphonic rock traits of their previous albums are still clearly evident but the songs on Hyperdrive are more immediate and concise.The band invited noted prog guitarist Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One) to participate as a special guest on one track. Joost van den Broek, who is known for his production work with Epica, Mayan, and After Forever, mixed the album. Rounding out the package is startling artwork by Gustavo Sazes.
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Nosound
Teide 2390 (CD/DVD Mediabook)

Progressive Rock

In the summer of 2014 Nosound were invited to perform at an extraordinary festival - the Starmus Festival held at the Teide Observatory on the island of Tenerife. This unique international astronomy event brought together an array of musical talent including European opera legend Katerina Mina and the legendary Rick Wakeman plus leading figures in contemporary science (with talks from the likes of Brian May, Nobel Prize winners, cosmonauts and Professor Stephen Hawking).It was here that Nosound recorded Teide 2390. Performed and recorded at Starmus infront of an invited audience at an altitude of 2390m, the band played songs from their 2005 debut Sol29, 2008's Lightdark, 2009's A Sense Of Loss and their most recent album Afterthoughts (which Prog Magazine described as, "Extraordinary").Teide 2390 features an audio CD of the full 70 minute set. The DVD-A/V includes standard & HD both in stereo & 5.1 mixes:DVD: stereo 24/48 LPCM, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, DTS 24/96 5.1 Surround plus a short film based on Nosound gig, including performances of In My Fears, Fading Silently, Places Remained, Kites, Cold Afterall, plus behind the scenes footage and pictures from the event.DVD Audio: 5.1 Surround 24/96 MLP lossless mixesThe CD/DVD is presented in a deluxe media book with 24 page colour booklet.
$5.00

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Triosphere
The Heart Of The Matter (Digipak)

Power Metal

"Four years in the making, Norway's Triosphere returns with their third album, The Heart of the Matter. It was worth the wait. While reviewed previously on this site by another reviewer, this is my first experience with the band.There's many things to like about Triosphere. Not the least of which, for a female-fronted band, is that vocalist and bassist Ida Haukland is a pure melodic metal singer, not swaying to the extremes of operatic or death vocals. Another significant element is simply their superb sense of songwriting. They have an arsenal of weapons to draw from whether an abundance of catchy riffs, a strong melody, vocal harmony, notable rock groove, or sizzling leads. I think, more than anything, the guitar structure, riffs and leads, are rather immense and attractive, propelling the album. You can't avoid the swell of riffs and leads within songs such as Steal Away The Light or As I Call, melodic and inspiring. But Triosphere wraps all these elements up in imaginative and entertaining arrangements, nearing progressive metal, that make for essential melodic metal listening.While the entire album is a rich tapestry of melodic metal, a few songs deserve some attention thanks to some interesting passages within. One is Breathless, a steady sturdy number that has this interesting breakdown after the half way point. The riffs collapse for this light guitar work, almost fusion, over equally slight drums. Another terrific song follows in Departure. It has its share of riffs and some staccato drums, but once more, it's the latter guitar segue that grabs you. More emotive and lighter leads over subtle bass and drums. A third song of interest is the later Remedy with a smooth melody and enormous vocal harmony. But the kicker, once more, is the guitar breakdown in the latter half. Different than the previous songs, it's sharper and heavier, riff based yet fiery, and propelled by some intricate drumming. Finally, the entire swail of riffage is abandoned at the end of the album for the acoustic and gentle ballad Virgin Ground. A respite perhaps? All in all, Triosphere, with The Heart of the Matter, has turned out a rather terrific and enjoyable album of melodic heavy metal. Easily recommended." - Dangerdog
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Harmony
Theatre Of Redemption

Power Metal

"This is not a new Lost Horizon record.There, we got that sorted out. The good news is that Daniel Heiman is finally back where he belongs: in metal. For its third outing, Harmony tapped this fan-favorite singer, but unlike recent, however successful, hijack jobs (think Michele Luppi with Secret Sphere, or further back, Urban Breed with Bloodbound), this is still one hundred percent a Swedish, religious power metal experience.After a promising start with Dreaming Awake, and a superior sophomore effort in Chapter II: The Aftermath, Chapter III at last gives us the Harmony record that I always knew the Swedes had in them. Retaining the band’s signature solemn style and subtle sense of melody, Theatre Of Redemption is bigger, better, and an overall top contender for 2014’s album of the year.Just how much has this to do with Heiman himself? Of course, hiring a man of his not inconsiderable talent is certain to lend your work that extra flavor. This isn’t to say that Henrik Båth held the band back (about as much as Mikael Dahl did/does in Crystal Eyes), but that Heiman touch is fan-favorite for a reason. The superhuman wails, the natural emotion, the unrivaled raw power, all of that bigger and better than before as well. In whatever dark corner of the music industry this man has been lurking in for all these years, he’s picked up a thing or two. A tender and soulful performance like the one on “What If” could simply not have come from him in his Lost Horizon-days. Goosebumps, ladies and gentlemen, entire flocks of geese.Logically, even Daniel freakin’ Heiman can only thrive when the songwriting is there to support him. Harmony stepped up its game considerably in this department, opting for shorter, tighter material here. Theatre Of Redemption is trademarked by sharp and poignant riffs, simple but gripping melodies, and an overdose of class. “Son Of The Morning” and the title track sound like the basic but effective kind of songs that Kamelot used to churn out in its heyday, boasting oriental effects, a mystic atmosphere, and an ominous chorus. “I gave it aaall – for – NOTHING!” More geese and whatnot.Not all of it is down and plodding, though. Introspective opener “Window Of My Soul”, the celebratory “Crown Me King”, and self-referencing closer “In Search Of” root Harmony firmly in the national style. Anyone attempting to chronicle the rich history of Swedish power metal should do well to include them. For filler tracks, to conclude, look further, because Harmony wastes no time making every single song one worthy of remembrance and appreciation.This is not a Lost Horizon record. Instead it’s the best album Harmony has ever released, and one of the best this year has seen so far. Daniel Heiman returns gloriously to be crowned as king (only to disappear, as he’s only a guest on this album), and aids Harmony in releasing its full potential. Fans of Heiman, Harmony, and (Swedish) power metal in general should purchase this blindly." - Black Wind Metal
$10.00

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Tarot
To Live Again

Metal/Hard Rock

Live album that was originally only released in Japan. This is a remastered and expanded edition.
$16.00

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Oliva
Raise The Curtain (w/Bonus Track)

Hard Rock

Raise The Curtain is the latest effort from the former Savatage mastermind. Its quite different from the Jon Oliva's Pain project and in a surprising way. The music has a strong 70s vibe blending elements of progressive rock, AOR, and metal. Oliva plays all the instruments but he collaborated on the songwriting with Dan Fasciano. From the opening roaring organ sounds you know you are in for something a bit different. You can tell this is Jon Oliva - there are parts that will remind you a bit of Savatage but you will also think in terms of Kansas, ELP, Alice Cooper. A mash up of styles for sure but quite well done. A friend who heard an advance copy summed it up perfectly: "A fun album". This is the first pressing that has one bonus track. Grab it while we got 'em.
$15.00

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Freak Kitchen
Cooking With Pagans

Hard Rock

“You can expect a beefy rock album, freak style. I think that Cooking with Pagans finally has the sound and energy of Freak Kitchen live; the energy and rawness. It is anything but overproduced, stripped down, drums, bass and guitar. To the point.” – Mattias “IA” EklundhIt has been 5 years since Freak Kitchen graced us with a new album. Since the release of 2009’s Land Of The Freaks, the band has toured the world – making stops in Europe, USA, and Asia along the way. Finally the band was able to settle down in their home base of Sweden to record the long awaited follow up Cooking With Pagans.The album finds the band collaborating with Blacksad comic book creator and former Disney animator Juanjo Guarnido. In addition to creating the amazing packaging for the album, Mr. Guarnido has created an incredible animated video to support the album release.Freak Kitchen consists of world renowned guitarist Mattias “IA” Eklundh, bassist Christer Ortefors and drummer Bjorn Fryklund, The trio offers an intense blend of progressive metal and rock, often served up with a wicked dose of humor. RIYL Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, and Bumblefoot.
$6.00

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