| CD REVIEW Ivanhoe |
 |
|
Band : Ivanhoe 3 ½ years ago, I made my acqaintance with this German Prog/ Power Metal act when they released their comeback album Walk In Mindfields (review posted 18/04/2005 and still available for your scrutiny), and I have to say it was a meeting which left really positive memories in my mind! I am now able to give you a more complete story about this band from Bietigheim in the Baden-Württemberg area, so if you don't care bout that I suggest you jump to the last couple of paragraphs in this review. For those who dó care, let it be known that the formation of Ivanhoe goes back to the year 1986 (hahah, that sounds pretty dramatic, doesn't it?), at which time the line-up consisted of guitarist Achim Welsch, keyboardist Markus Britsch, bassist Giovanni Soulas, and drummer Lars Hörnig. For a short while they were fronted by former Battlefield female singer Conny Ernst, with whom they recorded their first demo Behind The Walls. Her spot was taken by American singer Scott Anderson, the line-up seeing a further with the induction of second guitarist Thomas Kovac...but in spite of 1999 demo Written In Stone getting high praise from the music press Anderson prefered to return to the States. For the 1992 recordings of CD-single Play Express the band enlisted Ralf Küchle into their ranks, but he too would exit towards the Land Of Endless Opportunities, forming Matrix in Los Angeles. A new era in the Ivanhoe story begins when the band recruits former Whisper singer Andy B. Frank (later to star in Symphorce and Brainstorm, the singer was then still at the beginning of his career). Line-up trouble would not be over, as in 1993 Kovac departed to be replaced by Chuck Schuler. The band got its break right after, recording the track "Rebellion And Indecision" for the Peace Eater compilation. It got the band a deal for their debut album Visions And Reality, released in 1994 through WMMS. Not surprisingly the existence of an album opened touring possibilities, and the band toured Europe with Enchant before entering the studio to record sophomore album Symbols Of Time (issued in 1995) and touring with Vanden Plas. In December 1995 Schuler quit and Welsh, who'd apparently left for a while, returned to tour the band (in Europe) in support of Nevermore and Iced Earth. In this line-up the band continued to record third album Polarized (released in 1997) and tour with Skycladand Vanden Plas, but severe issues arose when Welsch insisted on bringing in some of his Thrash influences into Ivanhoe's music. A falling apart with Frank was inevitable, and after some disputes about the ownership of the bandname, the latter started off to issue the 1999 Symphorce album Truth To Promises (he would also join Brainstorm and combine both bands for a couple of years, eventually chosing to prioritise Brainstorm). Well, the rest of the story you already know, as I've told it to you in the review of the Walk In Mindfields album (in case you need a reminder, just read it again)...so I'd like to concentrate on the new album now! Apparently, writing sessions for the new album started at the beginning of 2007, and the whole thing was recorded and mastered by the end of July last...which means the complete process took one year and a half! But the end product was well worth the waiting, because what the listener gets is a record of high quality which has no frivolities, with each song worked out to perfection! I tell you, it will take the listener several listening sessions to start picking favourite songs from this 9-track album, because each and every one song on the album has a certain je-ne-sais-quoi which immediatelly grabs your attention. The somewhat down-tuned guitars, the great keyboard play, the tight rhythm section, and foremost Micha Mang's incredibly attractive voice (slightly nasal and slightly hoarse, the man's voice attracts both in his "normal" mode ànd when he goes for higher regions in the octave scales, whether he sings languidly calm or brings in a bit more volume and aggression)...it's all set in great and compellingly attractive complexity which is however certainly never devoid of melody! Quite on the contrary! To conclude, this German band has come of age (and in the meantime, you can find Mang also fronting Dreamscape, while Seibel can be found moonlighting by also playing the keys with Lanfear), delivering a great album which easily succeeds the preceeding album made with the same line-up. You can get a whiff of the material by locking in onto myspace.com/ivanhoemusic, where the band posted a sampled teaser of the album (next to the one song off the previous album). If that sparkles your ttention, I'm sure you're clever enough to find other means of finding whole songs off the album on the Internet. Alternatively, you might simply drag yourself from behind the pc and go downtown to treat yourself to a listening session at your favourite record store. I asure you it's worth leaving the comfort of your home for! 98/100 Tony. |