ELINOIRE

I have recently heard independently both from guitarist and singer Martin Schnella and keyboard and sax player Marek Arnold, so am at long last listening to the debut album from Flaming Row. I had come across the follow-up a while ago, but this is the first time I have heard the 2011 debut. Martin's idea for this was to pull together a core band (the line-up is completed by drummer Niklas Kahl and singer Kiri Geile), and then get loads of mates and session musicians in to complete the ensemble. This means that the initial four musicians are extended to approximately 30, with many well-known names among them such as Jimmy Keegan and Billy Sherwood.

Complex and layered, this is a progressive metal tour de force, with plenty of vocals from the entourage, yet the guys know when to let Kiri take centre stage and provide gentle accompaniment. This has been likened to Ayreon, Shadow Gallery and Pain of Salvation, and while that is certainly true I actually believe that this sounds far more melodic and less forced than many of the albums by those bands. There are countless people involved, but it is a band first and foremost and this definitely shines through. Structured, layered and textured, but with rock at its heart, this is clever metal with great vocals that can be enjoyed from the very first time it is played, after which it just keeps growing on the listener. It is an album I have enjoyed playing immensely.