Metal Reviews

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The vocals sound pretty bad on their myspace tracks (almost Pearl Jam...ish), but the music sounds very promising. I'll have to look into these guys a little more. I think your review may be a little to generous though... we'll see.

Maybe, maybe not... I was generous because of the reasons I mentioned in the last paragraph of the review, and I mainly docked the band points because of the vocals... There is honestly not that much wrong music. remember taht this is a new band, and tis is their first release.... This isn't a bad debut at all. If this had been their third or fourth release it would've been different.

Hmmh? After listening to the tracks on their myspace page I had a very different reaction---I'm actually very impressed. Yes, this is a debut, and there is definitely some further growth and development to be had (I think the rating is pretty fair in that regard). However, I personally really like the fact that, while stylistically similar, they don't sound like a carbon copy of every other, overly slick, Euro-power/prog band. The quieter, bass guitar driven parts actually sound like a band jamming together, and the heavier, thrashier parts actually sound a bit raw and (well) thrashy . . . as opposed to the very polished and "cushioned" thrash sound you hear from many of the established power prog bands. I also like that the progressive parts are complementary---rather than overwhelming---to the songs. Not a fan of noodly prog that can't get to---or stick to---the point, which is a good song.

More importantly, for me the vocals are one of the best things about this. Not saying the guy is the greatest singer in the world by any means (or couldn't use more work and experience), but I really like the more accessible, mid range, kind of understated approach. It's a big part of what makes this a little different. I'm so sick of power prog that sticks to the stereotypical Geoff Tate/Ray Alder/James Labrie, old school, high, warbling, "sci-fi" vocals. Those guys are all great, love their work, but everytime I hear a new power prog band and the singer is just doing his best Ryche/Fates Warning impression, I lose whatever enthusiasm I had for them. There are guys out there that do mix it up a bit, to good effect, but I just think that trademark sound is so overdone, and is a lot of what makes new bands with an otherwise fresh take on power prog end up sounding like just another nostalgia act. For me, for example, what makes the new Pyramaze album successful is the twist of hearing Matt Barlow's warm baritone over those classic styled prog metal riffs and arrangements---as opposed to the typical yodel-fest.

Anyway, sorry for the rant; just my two cents on that. Like what I have heard of Ad Astra so far; hopefully I can get a hold of the CD somewhere and hear the rest. Also, don't really hear much resemblance to Communic ( . . . though Communic is excellent and another great example of a non-typical prog metal band).

Great feedback.. I love that, however, I gotta disagree with you on some points, and to be fair you've only heard three out of ten... If I'm not mistaken, the title-track is one their myspace, which is easily the best track on the entire album. And yes, the bass-work is pretty outstanding on that particular song.

And about the vocal work. I don't want any high-pitch generic vocals. However, if they're high-pitched with something special, like Barlow, this would add lots of quality to the songs. This is IMO below average vocal work, because the singer sounds bored and not very into it. Therefore, vocals in the higher range would be better, but of course with a little twist it would be perfectly fit.