Good (three stars out of five)
As with many established acts that have drawn close comparisons with popular bands, Metamorphosis set out to divorce itself from its comparisons to Pink Floyd on its newest album, "Dark." The band, fronted by main composer and vocalist Jean-Pierre Schenk, had a few lineup changes for this latest effort, giving a variety of sounds that weren't present on previous albums. And while this album is likely to draw a few remaining comparisons to Waters and company, the music here stands as a good offering that is worth a listen for fans of Pink Floyd's brand of rock.
While it would be easy to say that the sound on "Dark" can best be summed up by saying "Pink Floyd," that would not encompass the whole story. Dark offers plenty of different sounds, including some great rapid guitar parts as found on the opening track, "Song for my Son," and some great drumming during "Hey Man." The instrumental approach here is definitely of a different brand than Pink Floyd, making for songs that can be enjoyed both for their sonic qualities as well as simple appreciation of the musicians' talent. As for the vocals, they are probably most likely to draw Pink Floyd comparisons, as the vocal approach is extremely similar. Depending on your own personal tastes, this may be either a benefit or a drawback. The vocals performances themselves are strong albeit unremarkable.
Luckily, the songs don't just sound like rehashes of Pink Floyd tunes. The opening track definitely goes in a different direction, beginning with a distorted guitar part that sounds far more like Demians or Porcupine Tree than anything else. As the song picks up in speed and intensity, comparisons to symphonic prog metal (Knight Area comes to mind) wouldn't be completely out of the question. And it is in these moments that the listener will likely be most satisfied, realizing that this is a multidimensional band capable of crafting fantastic and original songs. Other highlights that fit into this category include the dynamic "Hey Man" and the moody "Knowing All I Do is Worth Nothing."
At times, though, the songs do seem to fall into a bit of stagnancy. "Waking Up," takes a bit too long to get going, and the repetition of the "Waking Up" theme throughout the songs early and closing minutes overshadows the much stronger midsection. "You" suffers from a very similar problem, also beginning with a repetitive theme build around, unsurprisingly, "you." Again, once the song reaches its middle section, it gets into a great groove, but the slow start hampers enjoyment of the song somewhat. Another problem is something that I very rarely say about music: the songs here seem to go on a bit too long at some points. For example, "The Fight is Over" contains multiple parts, but many of them don't seem necessary, such as the late repetition of "The fight is over/the war is lost." A lower reliance upon passages such as these only would have improved the songs.
Overall, Dark is a nice album that shows a band successfully breaking away from a stereotype--a stereotype, however, that did leave behind some remnants. While much of the music here isn't remarkably new or staggeringly well-performed, there's enough good music here to make it a good recommendation for listeners hoping for a strong album in this particular vein of progressive rock.
Andrew Kauz
www.progressivemelodies.com
While it would be easy to say that the sound on "Dark" can best be summed up by saying "Pink Floyd," that would not encompass the whole story. Dark offers plenty of different sounds, including some great rapid guitar parts as found on the opening track, "Song for my Son," and some great drumming during "Hey Man." The instrumental approach here is definitely of a different brand than Pink Floyd, making for songs that can be enjoyed both for their sonic qualities as well as simple appreciation of the musicians' talent. As for the vocals, they are probably most likely to draw Pink Floyd comparisons, as the vocal approach is extremely similar. Depending on your own personal tastes, this may be either a benefit or a drawback. The vocals performances themselves are strong albeit unremarkable.
Luckily, the songs don't just sound like rehashes of Pink Floyd tunes. The opening track definitely goes in a different direction, beginning with a distorted guitar part that sounds far more like Demians or Porcupine Tree than anything else. As the song picks up in speed and intensity, comparisons to symphonic prog metal (Knight Area comes to mind) wouldn't be completely out of the question. And it is in these moments that the listener will likely be most satisfied, realizing that this is a multidimensional band capable of crafting fantastic and original songs. Other highlights that fit into this category include the dynamic "Hey Man" and the moody "Knowing All I Do is Worth Nothing."
At times, though, the songs do seem to fall into a bit of stagnancy. "Waking Up," takes a bit too long to get going, and the repetition of the "Waking Up" theme throughout the songs early and closing minutes overshadows the much stronger midsection. "You" suffers from a very similar problem, also beginning with a repetitive theme build around, unsurprisingly, "you." Again, once the song reaches its middle section, it gets into a great groove, but the slow start hampers enjoyment of the song somewhat. Another problem is something that I very rarely say about music: the songs here seem to go on a bit too long at some points. For example, "The Fight is Over" contains multiple parts, but many of them don't seem necessary, such as the late repetition of "The fight is over/the war is lost." A lower reliance upon passages such as these only would have improved the songs.
Overall, Dark is a nice album that shows a band successfully breaking away from a stereotype--a stereotype, however, that did leave behind some remnants. While much of the music here isn't remarkably new or staggeringly well-performed, there's enough good music here to make it a good recommendation for listeners hoping for a strong album in this particular vein of progressive rock.
Andrew Kauz
www.progressivemelodies.com
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