INTO THE EYE OF THE STORM

I have reviewed a boring album just after lunch...I need to wake up, so give me some metal...

I have discovered the Artension, a band based in Switzerland but lead by the Ukrainian Vitalj Kuprij after suggesting the inclusion of him (rejected) on PA. Vitalij is an orchestra director with a double discography: classical as director and metal as keyboardist. He's one of those keyboardists classically trained and very fast, and his keyboards are one of the most distinctive elements of Artension's music. Of course also the other elements must be fast enough to avoid being just the keyboardist's support band. The vocals of John West are clean and very standard for the genre and I think that this band can easily been compared to the DREAM THEATER.

In this debut album, apart of the technicalities (all the band's elements are very skilled), the first song which shows also an excellent songwriting is "Smoke And Fire". The instrumental interlude driven by a great bass on which the keyboard solo is low-volume, so not invasive, has fusion moments as it anticipates the metal-fusion genre which will appear more than ten years after this album.

Another track which deserves to be mentioned is "Lost Memory" which starts with a classical intro of classic guitar and piano. After a pause the theme is reprised by the band and the track progresses still maintaining a classical mood but with a lot of rock, too.

Out of the highlights this album contains quite standard prog-metal skillfully played, but so standard to be non-essential. It would deserve more than three stars but it's not enough for the fourth. However I strongly suggest it to who likes fast played "symphonic metal", like YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, fans of the genre in general and also people who likes classically influenced keyboards. Even fans of Emerson and Wakeman can have some fun listening to this album.