Flidais - Kazador EP

Artist: Flidais
Release Title: Kazador EP
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Traffic
2. Pinnacle
3. High Stakes
4. Hunter
5. Resolve
6. Missing

Continuing to hone their craft, Canadian progressive power metallers Flidais have comprised their central style of galloping power metal full of tight, bright melodies that are merged together with deft ease and execution that was a part of their original style. As original members Jordan Litt on guitars and Chris Darmanin on drums have left with only the latter being replaced by Ryley Swatman, the group’s new EP is original self-released December 2, 2016.

This here is quite the enjoyable release mainly due to the rather enjoyable nature of the band really offering quite an impressive attack here. Built upon the swirling, challenging progressive-tinged riffing that’s quite impressive how it manages to go for the variety of work overall here, is due to the bands’ insistence on featuring the riffing more as a straightforward gallop while still featuring plenty of challenging rhythms and patterns which give it a strong progressive bent. With this given a strong boost by the strong melodic outpouring throughout here due to the tight riffing and strong accents placed within the music, on the whole, this one carries itself pretty well here and doesn’t really strike as too detrimental in too many areas as the riffing is strong, the melodies are bright and the varied attack makes this one quite enjoyable. There’s one element that could use some minor touch-up in here which is the album’s tendency to stay within quite familiar stylings to each other so that a vast majority of the songs are blended together into the same general sound of challenging, churning riffing and bright melodies that sound good yet doesn’t strike as any kind of distinctive voice here due to the repeat style featured. It’s not a big detriment but it is there.

Though only hurt here somewhat by the relatively small aspect of their music with the commonly-used riff-work and rhythms making it blend into itself quite easily, it’s not nearly enough to let this one loose itself into that flaw and comes off rather nicely for fans of bright, melodic power metal or progressive-minded fans of the genre.

Score: 88/100

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https://www.facebook.com/FlidaisMusic/

Expired Utopia - Expired Utopia EP

Artist: Expired Utopia
Release Title: Expired Utopia EP
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Chasing a Tattered Flag
2. Defining the Gods
3. Expired Utopia

Comprised of scene veterans, Canadian progressive power metallers Expired Utopia were initially born from a mutual love of power metal with a vast and unique style ranging from symphonic to progressive and everything else in between. Bringing these influences to the forefront of their first release, the groups’ self-titled debut EP was originally released August 25, 2016.

For the most part this here is certainly whipped around the frantic, technical riff-work usually featured here with the album’s varied approach and dynamic patterns holding this one up throughout the tracks here. There’s a great sense of technical work here changing through a series of dynamic rhythms that soar through a grand series of strong, melodic rhythms and tight, pounding rhythms that all feature the strong technically-proficient riffing alongside it. Graced with occasional mid-tempo chugging that adds a strong melodic charge to these compositions, there’s a generally strong and imposing framework for the material here that generates the kind of dynamic patterns and melodic accessibility required for the genre.given that this is a bands’ debut offering, it’s not a hugely detrimental factor but there’s a sense of meandering riff-work and a lack of focus here on the tracks as they tend to go on simply feeling that’s what’s required to be in the genre through their influences and at times this makes the album seem like a chore to get through despite only getting three tracks. Though this can be refined and honed in the future, it’s still a factor here.

Though it gets into some problematic areas here with the overdrawn riffing not really going for the tight, clean work of their predecessors it has more than enough that does work here that with some minor refining this could be another solid and enjoyable band for fans of technical/progressive power metal or epic metal in general.

Score: 73/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://expiredutopia.bandcamp.com/

Majesty of Revival - Dualism

Artist: Majesty of Revival
Release Title: Dualism
Year: 2016
Label: Massive Sound Recordings
Genre: Neoclassical/Progressive Power Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Deadlock
2. Awaken
3. Alive
4. Inner Dimension
5. Darkest
6. Failure
7. Days
8. Wolfheart
9. Tongue
10. Perfection
11. When the Night Embrace
12. Serenity
13. Dualism
14. Same Blood

The third full-length from Ukrainian Neoclassical power metallers Majesty of Revival is yet another wholly strong and dynamic effort in their vastly-impressive catalog. Following a year of intense writing and recording, this impressive offering is released June 25, 2016 on Massive Sound Recordings.

Buoyed by the album’s strong riff-work, there’s a strong element charging along throughout the music here as the riffing takes on all series of challenging, progressive work here that offers technically-complex arrangements from tightly-wound speed metal leanings and fine thrash parts to soaring, majestic power metal anthems graced with plenty of fine keyboards running alongside those heavier pieces and tending to give this a widely-ranged and varied effort overall. It’s dynamic and wholly appealing in that there’s a strong attempt at variety here which definitely helps this one keep from overall repetition and familiarity that tends to dominate such material overall, though that plays up the first of the bands’ few small problems. The fact that it includes so many varying elements that the album as a whole is incredibly bloated and overlong, not just with ideas but in tracks as well. This could’ve easily been trimmed down a few songs in the running order to keep it to a more respectable length with this one carrying on with too many tracks featuring their admittedly-enjoyable take on these varied elements being present here and probably could’ve done with some trimming here and there to prune this one down a little. A fine start is the bands’ decision to include some rather obscure elements here as the few attempts at indie rock and more straightforward tracks don’t mesh so well with the more metallic work featured. Still, it’s not as big a problem as the other feature even though taking those out would help the bloated feeling.

There’s a lot of great work to be had here with the band spreading themselves out to include some varied and interesting elements into their core sound for an enjoyable if overlong offering that should really appeal to fans of the bands’ work in the past or those looking to explore the more progressive ends of the genre.

Score: 88/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://majestyofrevival.bandcamp.com/album/dualism

Dakesis - The New Dawn

Artist: Dakesis
Release Title: The New Dawn
Year: 2016
Label: CapsAArx
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Overture
2. The New Dawn
3. Betrayal
4. Destined for the Flame
5. The Great Insurrection
6. To Conquer or Die
7. Intermezzo Meridian
8. Judgement Day
9. The Sacrifice
10. Autumn
11. The Seventh Sky
12. Call to Freedom
13. By the Fading Light

The second album from UK progressive power metallers Dakesis offers a strong and truly engaging effort that contains a lot of really likeable elements present. The Birmingham quartet seems positively inspired and energetic here that should likely catapult them into the forerunners of the genre here on this effort released March 11, 2016 on CapsAArx.

Being a keyboard-dominant band, that is in effect the ground-work for the majority of the album as this one tends to really utilize a lot of striking and majestic bombastic notes featuring the keyboards throughout the music, ranging from wholly over-the-top cinematic style orchestrations to more melodic accentuations brimming along the main rhythms. These here are so wholly fun and dynamic that there’s a great deal to like with their bouncing enthusiasm and infectiousness running alongside the remaining elements here which come from strong riffing and full-throttle, pounding drumming. The riffing in general flows through grand dynamic and fiery patterns with everything from tight speed-metal trappings and symphonic workouts with the bombastic keyboard work while definitely keeping the complexities and technically-challenging arrangements at the forefront alongside those sparkling keyboard work, and in the end it all manages to make for a wholly enjoyable and fun time here with the bright melodies and challenging arrangements. There’s strangely not a whole lot to dislike here as the main element that works against this one is the fact that there’s just no real use for the band to include the two ten-minute plus epics, one of which is nearly twenty minutes and really stretches out the length of this one considerably. Though the two tracks are undoubtedly highlights, there’s little need for such material to be spread out here when the band was clearly competent and performing engaging work in much shorter spans, so the need to indulge in such epics will likely cause burnout for those attempting to indulge this in one sitting but it’s all that’s really wrong here.

Though the need for including those two overlong epics is a little questionable, there’s little else to dislike about this effort which really does feature plenty of enjoyable and engaging elements that makes this a worthwhile look for those who prefer such fast-paced power metal or the genre in general.

Score: 90/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://dakesis.bandcamp.com/