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October 8, 2008 |
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01. Yesterdayman
02. Wolven Eyes
03. Windy
04. Night In Poenari
05. Moonstruck (The Soulish Element)
06. Timestop
07. Starwatcher
08. Potboy: The Final Fantasy
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"Oniric Metal" is the debut solo effort from French keyboardist Vivien Lalu (SHADRANE, HUBI MEISEL). Joining Lalu for this project are guitarist Joop Wolters, bassist Russell Berquist (ex-ANNIHILATOR), drummer Ryan Van Poederooven (DEVIN TOWNSEND) and singer Martin Lemar (TOMORROW'S EVE). This album will definitely please fans of MAGELLAN, SYMPHONY X, ANDROMEDA or even early JOURNEY.
Here we have a selection of eight complex & aggressive Progressive Metal tracks. The first song, "Yesterdayman", offers a variety of tempos, and what immediately stands out is the amazing voice of Martin Lemar, whose style is very similar to former JOURNEY vocalist, Steve Perry. "Wolfen Eyes" and "Windy" follow up in the same spirit until "Night In Poenari" kicks in with a much heavier and faster vibe - a nice change, just in case the listener was not expecting any surprises and was hoping to relax on slow to mid tempo tracks. This one will definitely wake you up! And guess what? It doesn't stop there; "Time Stop" just keeps the Power Metal vibe going. Where lots of bands like to start fast and heavy before slowing down further along the way, LALU goes the other way around. The intro to "Starwatcher" comes up to speed and then back to a more mellow and slower vibe. It's essentially cool down time (except for the kick ass guitar solo)!
Finally, the epic closer "Potboy: The Final Fantasy", kicks in, constantly changing from very heavy riffs to mellow atmospheres, going beyond the 18-minute benchmark.
If, like me, you consider MARILLION's "Misplaced Childhood" a great classic but wished it were heavier, you might want to check out "Oniric Metal". The musicianship on this album is impeccable and the production is stunning. The only reproach is that some of the songs could have been a little bit shorter, particularly towards the end. By cutting out some the intros, outros and dialogues, it would sound just as good.
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