This
is the third release of German band Valley’s Eve, after ‘Prodigia’
(1998) and ‘Atmosphere of silence’ (1999).
I would describe their music as happy power metal with heroic lyrics
and heavy riffs leading to fine guitarwork.
The market has been drowning in releases of that kind in the past
months, I know, (Rhapsody as the most successful exponent at this time) but if
you like Rhapsody you can’t do anything wrong by purchasing this album. We
hear some sensitive singing and songs are made in an approachable way.
Monotony never has a chance because of acoustic interruptions, rhythm
changes and epic parts. ‘The
sun’ is a special one because of some Machine Head-relied riffs and nu-metal
influences.In more than one song R.D.Liapakis sings like a husky version of
Queensryche’s Geoff Tate. Speed
elements appear in ‘In your head’. Songs
steaming like a train ! But also the slow ones can enchant me (Mirror in your
eyes). ‘Dark
room’ is one hell of a slow, played with the dedication of Gary Moore at the
time he wasn’t lost for hard-rock yet.
‘Creating Gods’ has a mid-tempo structure and sometimes the name of
Conception crossed my mind. In
‘Unholy power’ guitars are accompanied by a nice violin in the
back-ground. But
the ultimate summit of this record is the long epic ‘Dark shadows on the
wall’ where all sides of Valley’s Eve are shown in a total experience. If you
just look at the titles are have a quick listening, things can sound regular
but after a while these songs explode, we sing along headbanging, while the
sun sunbursts in our dark and mournful existence one more time. It is
obvious that groups like Queensryche, Helloween and Gamma Ray have had a great
influence on a whole new generation of musicians, these were inspired to make
their own creations. On the
Japanese and USA release we can hear the bonus-track ‘Shadows of misery’. Reviewed
by : Vera ‘Gothica’ Matthijssens |
