PARALLEL LIVES

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"Parallel Lives" is the 2nd full-lengthstudio album by multinational metal act Section A. The album was released in 2006 by Lion Music.

I purchased the band´s debut album "The Seventh Sign (2003)" when it was released because I had heard rumours of guitarist/ main composer Torben Enevoldsen´s considerable guitar shredding skills and that album did me a pretty good listening experience even though the generally hard rocking metal/ power metal style on that album wasn´t exactly innovative. Enevoldsen´s solos occasionally made the album shine and the high level of musicianship wasn´t bad either. The compositions were solid but unfortunately also a bit formulaic and unfortunately the same can be said about "Parallel Lives".

The music is still traditional styled metal/ power metal/ with a few progressive elements like the jazzy keyboard in "Moment of Truth" but generally you have to look a very long time for progressive elements on the album. Enevoldsen´s guitar solos are, as the case was on the debut album, the greatest asset on the album. Fast and furious yet melodic. They are unfortunately the only highlight on the album. The compositions are just as formulaic and trivial as it was the case on the debut but there seem to be even fewer standout moments on "Parallel Lives". The vocals are hard rock/ power metal styled but not of the extremely high pitched kind. Andy Engberg is as such a strong vocalist but I´m not especially fond of his voice or singing style. The tracks feature lots of keyboards but they are mostly used to support the guitar driven songs and work as polish. There are some female vocals in the track "Awakening" which is nice for the variation on the album.

The production is professional and polished.

"Parallel Lives" is all in all too filled with clichés and generic compositions to really lift it above mediocrity. It´s too bad because the musicianship and the professional sound production could have carried the music far. A 2 - 2.5 star rating is deserved.

Second album named Parallel lives from 206 from this unnoticed band is another good album in my opinion. A little less convinceing then previous, who was also not a masterpiece or something essential, this album is a little heavier in places. Well, keeping the same sound, the same manner of composing, the attitude, in places is rougher, like the cases with Dominici or Symphony X, whre they change the aproach of their prog metal in a more rougher and heavier manner. I don't think this is the key to a wider audience, each time in this cases turns to be not a good movement. Here the album sounds no more so intristing, even the key passages now made by Mats Olausson from Yngwie Malmsteen fame are usual and without that shineing moments of Sherinian or Werno, the guitar is ok in places I here some neo clssical aproach here combined with prog metal themes, the voice is ok again but not so great as on previous album. Still a good album in my view, nothing realy spectacular, even in some parts they try to give to the listner something worth investigated, the pieces are ok but nothing more. The longest track from here Dark Alliance is the best this band has on this album , nearly 11 min of solid song writting and good musicianship, the rest are only ok, nothing realy impressive or groundbreaking. I found this album worth 3 stars for sure, I like it, but is less convinceing then other albums from this field. And another thing , no matter how bad is for some listners this band and specially this album I realy don't think this desearves 1 star, with 2 stars I'm agree partialy, but to give 1 star and above all to be a prog metal lover is something strange to me. Anyway each one with his view, I found it enjoyble all the way , even is nothing essential here.3 stars for sure. Both albums are available at LionMusic. Similar with Vanden Plas, Dominici, Artension.