Torian - Dreams Under Ice
Underground Symphony
Heavy/Power Metal
10 songs ()
Release year: 2005
Torian, Underground Symphony
Reviewed by Jason
Surprise of the month

Hailing from Germany, Torian are a testament to the fact that there is still room for new bands to play traditional Power/Heavy Metal that kicks butt. Though the music itself may not push the boundaries of the genre, Torian’s new album titled Dreams Under Ice features solid song structure along with tight riffs and solos that make this band worthy of encouragement and praise. Like most debut albums, Dreams Under Ice definitely has its shortcomings, but what matters most is that this is the album possesses the attributes of a strong release, and with time Torian may refine themselves to the point of making a name for themselves in the Metal world.

The album kicks off with the band-title track Torian, whose lyrical basis is drawn from the Wolfgang Hohlbein´s fantasy novel “The saga of Garth and Torian”. Clocking in at approximately six minutes, this track is riled with galloping riffs, anthem-like choruses and sharp solos bound make most power metal fans heads bob to the rhythm in approval. What truly makes this album an above-par debut in my opinion is the lead guitar; with influences like Black Label Society, Dream Theater, Iced Earth, Metallica, Pantera and Symphony X, its no wonder that lead guitarist Alexander Thielmann is able to shred his guitar like a maniac he is. The moment you think a song starts becoming repetitive Thielmann manages throws in an interlude of spicy licks that breaks the recurring cycle between chorus and lyrics.

The tempo of Dreams Under Ice for the most part is speedy and galloping, but Leave this World Behind is a track that demonstrates the band doesn’t always have to thrash to sound good. Perhaps this biggest shortfall on the album would be the vocal performance by Marc Hohlweck. This is not to say that Hohlweck is bad vocalist, or that he isn’t suitable for the band, quite the contrary; I think he has a great voice but isn’t experienced enough as a singer to sound as solid as the rest of the band. His vocal patterns are quite linear and I believe that he could have been able to explore his vocal range and style more to add a little extra color to this debut.

Overall this is a strong debut from the band that calls themselves Torian. The few shortcomings that are common on debut albums isn’t reason enough for one to evade checking this album out, infact I predict with time that as this band matures the metal world will be hearing more of them.

Killing Songs :
Jason quoted 75 / 100
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There are 1 replies to this review. Last one on Tue Sep 13, 2005 12:05 am
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