REVELATIONS

Angel Vivaldi (according to all sources I've looked at, yes, that is his real name) is listed as tech/extreme prog metal, though he may fit closer under plain prog metal. Revelations isn't super-heavy, best described as an album of instrumental, neo-classical shredding rather than any of the subgenres listed by the site.

With overtones of djent, each song is devoid of typical structure. Instead, it is filled with highly technical soloing, the album's main focus. Vivaldi produces some mindbendingly intense guitar work, mainly based around shred but including some melodic aspects as well. The riffs are not usually very memorable, as showcasing the impressive solos takes first priority, not only over the riffs but every other aspect of the music too. If you're looking for a good guitar album, you need to hear this.

But looking at Revelations under the broader scope of prog, things are different. Vivaldi is clearly talented on the guitar, but he has difficulty writing songs that show off many other features of musical value. Revelations' biggest flaw is its lack of variation and how it really exists only to show off Vivaldi's guitar skill and while actual songwriting takes a backseat. The first six songs on this album sound too similar to each other, without defining characteristics to set them apart. They seem to be stuck in a loop of mid-paced, mid-volume shredding.

The last two songs change up the sound a little, adding some much-needed diversity to the samey shredding. If all the songs on this album were like Finale and Stepping Through the Looking Glass, the longest and best tracks from Revelations, I would be giving this four stars. Finale, enters a quiet mid-section and Vivaldi plays a tasteful acoustic solo, the song builds back up again into a part with the album's most memorable riff. Fortunately, Finale is actually the second-last song because the symphonic-tinged STTLG bests it, bringing down the volume at about four minutes and coming back up into an epic and intense tradeoff of solos between the guitar and keyboards. Definitely a strong finish to an album that is somewhat lacking.

Revelations, an exercise in neoclassical shred, is excellent guitar album and a fairly decent prog effort. Vivaldi is a skilled guitarist, though his songwriting is not the best and lacks variation, aside from the last two songs. Shred is not dead.