CURSE OF TIME

An interesting comeback album from this German band.

Saris released an album back in 1993 and then disappeared for 16 years before Curse Of Time saw the light of day. In the meantime, a lot of water had passed under the bridges crossing Rheine.

Curse Of Time was a fun album to make and it was influenced by the likes of Kansas, Saga, Nightwish, Dream Theater and Magnum..... Derk Akkerman stated in the interview I did with Saris some time ago. And that very much sums up this album.

The music on this album is much closer to pomp prog than neo prog. Well, the music here is pomp prog. It starts with some very strong references to Magnum, Saga and Kansas. The inclusion of female vocals and some acoustic instrumentations draws strong comparisons to Nightwish. The chugging guitar riffs is very similar to Dream Theater. There are even some strong German power metal influences here and prog/power metal fans will find this album a real treat. And some Scorpions influences has been carried over from the 1993 album too.

In short, the sound is very big and full of details. The songs are pompeous and full of multiple layers. Oh yeah, Saris has really gone for broke here and created a very big statement here.

The quality is good throughout. The lack of some really killer tracks is my main gripe here. But besides of that, this album is very good and I am sure it will find favour with a lot of people in PA.

3.5 stars

Saris is one of the prog bands from Germany who gone under the radar even their career lasting for more then 30 years. There was some ups and down since the beggining and the first album saw the light in 1993 and then they disbanded in 2000. In 2009 they released their second album named Curse of time. Well, the music offered is quite good, the instrumental sections are great with some very memorable keyboards passages. The voice is only ok, nothing special but not bad. The music is something like a metalized neo prog, similar with let's say bands like dutch Knight Area, germans Invertigo or Splinter. Quite solid is combined both style neo prog with prog metal, I mean the band is with one foot in neo and with the other in prog metal, but in the end they sound very good and tight. I like a lot the instrumental sections, pieces like the title track, or the mini epic Miracles clocking around 18 min are pure delight, specially the keyboards are truly great. All in all definetly worth checking out. Sadly after this album, the drumer will passed away giving again uncertaing future for them. But the light is again on their stree and they will prepare for a new album to be released somewhere in early 2014. For me great album Curse of time and 4 stars for sure, quite unnoticed band.

German band, which had to wait for about three decades before becoming a bit known, despite formed in 1981 in Bochum.Guitarist/keyboardist Derk Akkermann was always the centerpiece of the band, which disbanded for the first time in 1983 after a single and several tours in Germany.A second line-up was gathered in early-90's, leading to the release of ''Dead end street'', basically a Hard Rock/AOR album.In 1988 Akkermann met Lutz Guenther (bass) and Achim Schmidt (drums, keyboards), but even this formation lasted for only a couple of years.Fast forward and the old bandmates decided to give their dream another chance, recruiting two singers, Thomas Hackmann and Anja Guenther.But this time the circumstances were more mature, the result was the band to launch a long-awaited self-production in 2009, the album ''Curse of time''.

Saris have definitely a retro style of playing, not actually linked to the 70's as most of the retro-styled bands, but resembling more to German Heavy/Neo acts of the 90's such as CROMWELL and CRYSTAL PALACE, adapting a sound, which includes both Hard Rock and epic elements and delivering their compositions through very artistic arrangements with lots of segments and mood changes.The tracks are quite long with emphasis on the harsh, attacking vocals, the memorable choruses, the pompous keyboards and the very sharp guitars of the leader Derk Akkermann.So, imagine a group, which makes an attempt to flirt with a Neo Prog style, take heavy doses of a Hard Rock/AOR vibe and throw in some pompous/symphonic keyboards and even a few string sections for good measure.Definitely among the most powerful bands of the style, which insists on coming up with passionate rhythmic tunes and striking melodies, not ever forgetting about more virtuosic, flashy and intricate instrumental parts.This particular style won't change even in the very long ''Mircales'', a 17-min. composition, which still retains the basic values established already by the band.However this is by far the most diverse track on the album with the length allowing plenty of changes between powerful orchestral themes, heavy guitar-fronted sections, an atmospheric lyricism and grandiose symphonic textures.

Among the very pompous and energetic releases of the year.Somewhere between Hard Pomp Rock and Neo Prog, driven by a bombastic team, which loves to play dynamic and rich music.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.