|
Cover |
Release |
Style |
 |
2004 |
epic
power
metal |
|
Label |
|
Rock Inc |
|
Website |
|
www.pyramaze.com |
|
Contact |
|
|
|
Playing Time |
Cat.
N° |
|
50’48’’ |
PYR001 |
|
Review by |
Rating |
|
Vera |
8,5/10 |
|
nederlands |
Review |
Pyramaze comes into being when
guitarist Michael Kammeyer leaves his former band Damion and decides
to write a melodic power metal album with progressive touch. After
he had written the material for the first album, he went searching
for fellow musicians. These are promptly found in the Danish scene,
at least a drummer and a bass player. Through internet connections
the American keyboardist Joahn Weingarten joins them. Rehearsals
took place on both sides of the ocean and in January 2003 Joahn flew
to Denmark to record the CD with famous producer Jacob Hansen (Withering
Surface, Ancient). This man introduces the band to Intromental
Management. Through intermediary of them, Michael won’t sing on the
album, but the eminent Lance King (Balance Of Power, Gemini, Mattson).
This was the recipe to come to the prosper debut that bears the
traces of Iced Earth, Kamelot and Iron Maiden but even so has a
progressive side.
Just like the recently reviewed Anubis Gate, this is a promising
start. The sound is damned well (another compliment for Jacob Hansen),
with a singer as Lance King one can be sure of the vocal elasticity
and the musicians play the tiles of the roof. ‘Sleepy Hollow’ comes
sneaking on with a beloved dark voice full of mystery and clear
guitar sounds. Just when you expect the band to burst into a mega
grunt and monumental slow riffing it goes the other way. This
evolves into staccato rhythms of drums and guitars. Lance completes
it with his voluminous vocals.
Pyramaze is however no straight forward metal band but relishes
their songs with opposite rhythms and harmonic refrains. It is
multi-layered music with a catchy heart. Just listen to the guitars
against a stowing background of the rhythm-section in ‘Melancholy
Beast’ and we all can agree that we’re dealing with a talented band
here. ‘The Journey’ claims immediately his place in my musical
memory. More than once it reminds me of Iced Earth and Queensr˙che.
Sung in a glorious way with an imposing chorus! Lighters can be hold
up in ‘Until We Fade Away’, a sole slow one but high quality. Also
the faster songs have mostly a moment of reflection (‘Legend’) and
‘Mighty Abyss’ is a stunner too. And so we can continue for a while,
for ‘Melancholy Beast’ is full of inventive accelerations and
neo-classic guitar work, held together by the first-rate voice of
Lance King. Top class! |
|
Musicians |
|
Lance
King: vocals
Michael Kammeyer: guitars
Nils Kvist: bass
Joahn Weingarten: keyboards |
|
Tracklist |
Sleepy Hollow (6’11’’)
Forsaken Kingdom (5’29’’)
Melancholy Beast (6’11’’)
The Journey (5’48’’)
Until we Fade away (4’36’’)
Legend (7’12’’)
Mighty Abyss (8’01’’)
The Nature of Triumph (0’51’’)
Power of Imagination (6’30’’) |
|
