| CD REVIEW Fracture – Manticora – Tetrafusion – Toxxic Toyz |
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Nightmare Records special : Fracture – Manticora – Tetrafusion – Toxxic Toyz “Four albums by the same label being released on the same date? I felt that was too good an opportunity not to make a special of it, so let's use it!,” was what I though, so I simply wént for it! As those among you may already know, this label was started by Lance King, himself a singer in acts geared towards somewhat Progressively tinted Power Metal acts, and the music released on his label evidently reflects the man's taste in music. Finding it difficult to find a label for his band Gemini, King founded this label in 1990, and has seen his “baby” grow to spread out globally as one of the most important labels in the genre with over 2 million albums sold (spread over all the releases in those years, many of which are albums by Christian Metal artists). All (full-length) albums in this special are released on Nov. 12, 2010 (and we got the download promo copies through Connecting Music – meanwhile, I've come to understand that in Holland the physical albums are distributed through Bertus, in Belgium that would be through LSP/ Metalzone). Except for Denmark's Manticora, the bands are all relatively young, which doesn't therefore automatically implicate that their musicians are so too (check the first band in the row, for instance)! ------------------------------------------- From Melbourne, Australia, Fracture pride themselves as being one of the few bands in their county to have delved into a genre of music that has been becoming quite popular all over the world in the last couple of years. Ask the band what genre they mean, and they'll shout in unison, “Metal!”...but the truth sees things differently, because what this band plays is really upgraded quality Progressive Metal! The band was founded in 2007 by lead singer David Bellion (has sung with several Metal bands through the years, most notably Neue Regel, Vaudxdvihl, and Star Chamber) and guitarist Tony Markou (also played in several bands, but with a bigger variety in styles ranging from Blues Rock to Hard Rock and Heavy Metal...and feeling the need to push his own boundaries and start something new), after a meeting with a friend they had in common, and the realisation they could work together really easily. At first the guys mainly explored their ideas and experimented with different sounds which they recorded. Later on, they were joined by drummer Mark Emblin and started recording their debut album. Meanwhile the band recruited second guitarist Joe Kostof (another musician with some 20 years of experience) in late 2009, and only a couple of months ago had to replace Emblin (whom left due to family commitments) with Mark Degiorgio (yet another seasoned musician) In giving the album its initial listening sessions I felt the music had a nice familiarity to it, and a vocal resemblance to the likes of Queensrÿche and Crimson Glory...so I wasn't too surprised to find those acts in the band's “Influences” list on their MySpace page, other bands cited being Nevermore, Fates Warning, Tool, Opeth, Soilwork, Black Sabbath, and Metallica. Expect a nicely finished product, with plenty of mood changes even within any one song. Yep, these guys definitely deserve to get a high rating for their debut album...in fact, I might as well put Simple Chaos in my year-lists! No need to wonder what the band might sound like, as at myspace.com/fracturemuzik the guys posted no less than 7 of the 9 songs on the album! And...good news, they're already working on new material for a follow-up! 98/100 ---------------------------------------- Hardly newcomers to the scene, this Copenhagen based Danish band's been around since 1996 and have already delivered 6 previous albums. They play a blend of fast-paced Power Metal, Technical Thrash and orchestrated Epic Metal which I personally discovered for the first time on the occasion of my reviewing of The Black Circus, Part 1 – The Letters (posted 30/09/2006, it contains everything you need to know about the band's prior history), the band's sophomore album on the Massacre Records label. Following a short European tour alongside Andromeda and the closing of a deal with Locomotive Records, the band swiftly returned to Jailhouse Studio to record The Black Circus, Part 2 (again with Tommy Hansen as producer), at the same time recording a cover version of “Total Addiction” as a contribution to the album A Tribute To Tankard which was issued as a bonus disc to Tankard's 2007 compilation album Best Case Scenario – 25 Years In Beers, released through AFM Records. The band's own new album was promoted through a tour on both European and USA soil as support to Jon Oliva's Pain, and additional European touring was booked for May 2009, this time as support to Circle II Circle. Meanwhile Locomotive went bankrupt, and the band again had to look out for a new label...which presented itself in Nightmare Records, whom had previously distributed the band's albums as a distro! With Safe, Manticora has taken a slightly Thrashier path than before, with brings a kind of darkness to their music overall. Personally, I don't like that change too much, because where musically things are hunky-dory (that's “okay” for you lot!) with the band's usual somewhat Progressive Power Metal undertones, the more “aggressive” musical style is somewhat unbecoming of frontman Lars Larsen's somewhat thin vocal capacities. Oh well, that's a personal thing of course, and you're quite free to have another opinion (I mean, thank “God” for differing tastes in music, right?). To get a feel of the band's “new” direction, you're only served the one song off Safe at myspace.com/manticora (“From The Pain Of Life (I Learned About The Truth)” also happens to be the band's very first music video, premiered at (www.) wackentube.com on Sept. 22). I guess you'll have to look up the album's page at one of the trusted online sales websites to get samples of the other 6 songs. I'm not sure, but did this band ever bring a song 14 minutes in length? Well, with the album closing title song they do just thàt (of course, the song's got several parts). At the beginning of October the band started their first headliner tour through Europe, visiting a total of 9 countries for 11 dates (by the time you read this, it'll be done though), but that tour didn't even make Belgium...so I guess we'll have to wait for the band to hop onto another band's tour as support again? 80/100 ---------------------------------------- Formed in 2006 and consisting of keyboardist Gary Tubbs, guitarist Brooks Tarkington, bassist Mark Mitchell, and drummer J.C. Bryant, this Shreveport (Louisiana) based band debuted with the self-released instrumental album Absolute Zero in February oflast year. The album got the band quite some critical acclaim which launched Tetrafusion into the Underground Experimental/ Progressive Metal scene alongside the likes of Scale The Summit, Animals As Leaders, Liquid Tension Experiment, and Canvas Solaris. The album was featured globally on over 20 commercial and over 50 online radio stations, got dozens of review columns, and was given real positive reviews in such German magazines as Rock Hard, Decibel, and Progression. Quite independently, the band sold over 1,000 copies of the album in 21 countries...a nice feat for an unsigned band. Ultimate-Guitar.com brought further hails to the band when they listed the album as one of the top 10 albums of 2009. For their sophomore album the band decided to go vocal (with Tubbs handling lead vocals and Tarkington backing him up quite harmoniously), and also take a new direction musically...as they didn't want to make an Absolute Zero, Part 2 with vocals over it. So, in addition to the occasional straight-forward Progressive, crazy fast heavy moments, the guys took a step back to give things a lot more atmosphere...something the band needed on many levels. As a result, the band's hybrid of nicely complex Technical Metal with melodic structures brings an eclectic brand of Progressive Rock and Metal much along the lines of Porcupine Tree, Rush, Dream Theater, Cynic, Tool, and Muse (those are the bands mentioned in the label's info sheet we got along with our promo download of the album, and on the band's MySpace Opeth is mentioned as additional influence). Considering the real nice vocal display, it's almost incredible that this band was at first instrumental...but then again, they were playing in an overall heavier style back then! Recorded in two sessions last year (the first in August, the second starting late September and continuing into November), the album got picked up by Nightmare Records in late Spring of this year, when the band signed to the label. In the meantime, the band mixed together an official trailer for the album (which they made available through YouTube and their MySpace page in early June) and released the album's first single Last Chance (the more straight-forward song on the album) in late August. As it happens it's also the only song the band put up at myspace.com/tetrafusion, and actually it's a very good choice, as it displays the band's calmer and heavier moments perfectly. In staying with their former instrumental status, the album title track is a very nice instrumental played in the band's calmer style. To get a whiff of that track, or any of the other 5 songs besides the aforementioned (meaning there's 7 songs on the album...get it?...for a duration of almost 51 minutes), you'll have to look up the band's page at Amazon.com! As for my personal evaluation of the album, I'd have to say I was nicely surprised, but I'm withholding a possibly even more positive view on the band until the next vocal album. Meanwhile, the guys more than deserve the rating I'm giving this album. 95/100 ---------------------------------------- With a bandname like that, one would rather expect a Glam Rock act in stead of one that finds its place in between the other acts on this label, but there you are! There might be some plausible explanation in the fact that the guys are from Nice, in the South of France, but if there is, I didn't find it! Anyway, the origins of this quintet goes back to early 2003, when the meeting of guitarist Fred Burst with drummer Rick Pride resulted in the formation of Bad Angels. Later that year the induction of second guitarist Arvi Kaint (I'm guessing he also took on lead vocals, seen as he's the one currently doing the backing vocals) took the band towards new musical horizons with more Progressive influences, and also gave it its musical face. Along with the change in musical direction came an bandname change, and the guys opted for Toxxic Toyz (to them it seemed like an “obvious choice” - go figure!). With some changes in bassists before one Elrick took on the job, the guys started playing around the South of France, and released their self-produced debut full-length F.E.A.R. In November of 2007. Self-released, the album's slow in being picked up, but eventually gets some airplay on Bruce Dickinson's Rock Show on British radio in early February 2008, and also gets a favourable review in the June edition of Metallian magazine. In September '08 the guys even manage to get the album a German distribution through Hellion Records' website. Barely a good week into the recordings (started July 20 of last year) of this new album, the bassist announces he's quitting, wanting to spend time on other things. One day after the band posts a “wanted” add on their website (www.) toxxictoyz.com and MySpace page in search of anew bassist, and not even 3 weeks later the job's taken by one Tomy Bones. Now evidently, the breaking in of the new guys asked some time, and therefore the recordings were delayed somewhat. But the guys make good use of the time in between recording sessions, recruiting American Dave McBee in September to release Arvi from his former frontman duties. With recordings done, the band then enters a contest to get signed by Nightmare Records in mid February of this year, and apparently the guys' call to vote was sufficient to get 'em a deal (well, the posting of the song “Innocent Blood” from the new recording sessions on their website might've helped a little, you know)! Toxxic Toyz' music is most easily described as a mixture of aggressive Heavy Rock with melodic Power Metal and Progressive elements. A very nice blend brought with the necessary instrumental proficiency, in which McBee's vocal style (as mentioned in the info sheet we got along with our download promo of the album, “...he's got a raw attitude based in melody that brings listening accessibility...”) fits perfectly. The lyrics are socially aware and as stated in aforementioned info sheet, “...screaming to the sleeping masses of the world not aware that they're becoming slaves to the new world order...it's time to reclaim your freedom...freedom of the mind, freedom of independent thought, freedom of our spirit to rise above the calculated corporate media's social programming!”. Hum...I'm not sure just how serious this band is about inciting its listeners into some kind of social revolution. I mean, it's kinda the “in” thing to do, these days, isn't it? Besides, McBee is also somewhat of a joker, as can be ascertained from his occasional “jokes” on the album [spoken outro of “Chaos” and “Innocent Blood” (now whàt exactly is it a thong and Elvis have to do with people waking up to realize what's goin' on around 'em in name of the almighty buck?) and the unannounced album closing track (dealing with reindeer Rudolph being excluded from reindeer games because he was “different” with his red nose?)]. Anyway, to hear some music by the band, do nót revert to their MySpace page (heck, I'm not even gonna print the adres!), but to the “Media” page at (www.) toxxictoyz.com, where the band has two songs off the new album posted alongside 3 off the 2007 album, as well as 4 live videos of older material. If you need more off the new album to make up your mind about liking this French band or not, surf to the album's page at one of the trustworthy online sales websites (they usually carry 30-second samples to all songs). 86/100 Tony. |
