ANDROMEDA

This is also the album where Andromeda succumbed to the dreaded metal cliché that is the politcal album! Lyrically, this isn't much different than any other band who has politically-themed songs, lashing out at corrupt governments that favour the rich, keep secrets from the public and advocate wars. The usual. Musically however, the band are as tight and as coherent as ever.

As always, each member here really demonstrates abilities that puts them at the top of their chosen field. After the more stripped down approach of their previous album, 'The Immunity Zone', guitarist Johan Reinholdz is prepared to rip things up again, shredding to his hearts content with some mind-blowing guitar acrobatics, which are matched note-for-note by keyboardist Martin Hedin. The interplay between these two is phenominal, and puts them right up there with the other top musicians in the genre.

With such heavy hitters as 'Stay Unaware', 'Preemptive Strike', 'Antidote', 'Survival of the Richest' and 'Chosen by God', as well as the softer 'Go Back to Sleep', Andromeda have released an album that further solidifies them as one of progressive metal's finest bands, and a worthy successor to Dream Theater's throne.

Which brings us to 'The Immunity Zone', the fourth album by Swedish prog metal group Andromeda. The songs are a lot more stripped down than previous efforts, and there seems to be an overall darker mood throughout. So what's the deal? Are they trying to reach out to a broader audience? Are they experimenting with different ideas? Has guitarist Johan Reinholdz just decided he can't be bothered with endless noodling?

Nobody knows the answer to these questions but the band members themselves, but despite the change in direction, this is still one kickass release. It's probably their weakest effort to date, but it has some truly remarkable songs on it regardless.

'Slaves of the Plethora Season', possibly Andromeda's least ambitious song, is a good representation of the change in sound. It has no solos, no ridiculous time signatures, and terribly cringe-worthy lyrics ("who can get an erection?"), but none-the-less it has some very catchy, heavy riffs, that put most modern metal bands to shame. And that is one thing this album is overflowing with; riffs!!!

As expected with this band, all performances are of the highest standard, so even with the more relaxed playing and stripped down arrangements, these guys still play their hearts out, sounding tighter than ever, and Reinholdz cooling down on the guitar has really helped all the other members shine, in particular, drummer Thomas Lejon, who's an absolute beast behind his kit, truly dominates on this album.

Of course the true centerpiece, and most probably one of Andromeda's greatest compositions, is the 19-minute 'Veil of Illumination'. There are no words that can do justice to describe how insane this song is. Featuring absolutely breath-taking playing, well thought-out lyrics and arguably the craziest instrumental passages ever recorded (check out the middle section of this song right now), this is one of the most insane pieces of music you'll ever hear.

And that's not an exaggeration.

In summary, 'The Immunity Zone' is probably Andromeda's weakest release, yet features some of their strongest songs. It's a bit of a mixed bag when compared to their previous releases, but this by no means make it a bad album. Probably worth the money just for that 19-minute epic, to be fair.

Following on from their previous album, with a similar style though possibly a slightly more melodic edge, the band sound tighter and even more refined than ever, and while the quality in songwriting dips here and there, these are, for the most part, some of the bands most impressive compositions.

With epic pieces of work, such as 'Periscope', 'Going Under' and the mind-blowing 'Inner Circle', it's clear that this is a band with a very strong chemistry between themselves, and tracks like 'The Cage of Me' and 'No Guidelines' will please even the most hardcore of metal fans. But, honestly, just check out 'Inner Circle'. Everything about this song is just so refreshing and exciting. It really is a unique little gem.

Another worthy album in the groups discography, this is a band that continue to push themselves and develop new styles and ideas. As much as I'd like to consider them the "next Dream Theater", instead, I prefer to look ahead, as the day will come when we will refer to future prog icons as the "next Andromeda".

One of the main differences between the two albums is that with 'II = I' everyone collaborated together and shared writing credits, as opposed to the previous record which was written entirely by guitarist Johan Reinholdz. It shows a band that has bonded and formed a great chemistry amongst themselves, with the results being a more polished and well-rounded release.

As is always the case with progressive metal groups, the musicianship is impeccable, with each member being a true master of their respective instrument. How these guys are not the successor to Dream Theater's throne will baffle me until my dying days.

Unfortunately, there are a few fairly dull and lackluster moments, which prevent this release from achieving the same five-star rating as 'Extension...'. Songs like 'Mirages', 'Reaching Deep Within' and the title track are some of Andromeda's finest, and a great representation of what this genre has to offer. Sadly, the last few tracks seem to fall flat at times. They're not terrible, but it definitely sounds like all the best ideas were used up earlier.

Don't be deterred, however, as this is still a great album, and while it may not be as good as its predecessor, this certainly should not be seen as a step back for a band that are still evolving and developing.

Allow me to introduce you to "that band" of mine.

Stumbling across Andromeda online, I purchased this almost immediately after hearing and falling in love with the title track, 'Extension of the Wish'. I couldn't believe how stellar this, their debut album, was. Being a huge fan of progressive metal, theirs was the perfect sound. Atmospheric with a spacey vibe, and full of the usual over-the-top virtuoso performances that you'd expect of the genre. How are this band not more well-known?!

Written by guitarist Johann Reinholdz (who was only 21 at the time... jeez...), 'Extension of the Wish' is full of guitar and keyboard acrobatics that put most other bands to shame. The drumming is absolutely insane, yet Thomas Lejon never misses a beat, and singer David Fremberg's powerful voice is full of passion and raw energy.

Opening track 'The Words Unspoken' is one of the best prog metal songs I've ever heard, and instrumental 'Chameleon Carnival' is an absolute joy to listen to, showing off Reinholdz's vast knowledge of guitar scales and fret- board mastery. Then there's songs like 'Crescendo of Thoughts', 'Star Shooter Supreme', 'Arch Angel', bonus track 'Journey of Polyspheric Experience' and of course, the title piece itself, 'Extension of the Wish'. There is not a dull moment on this incredible album and it's an absolute travesty that not many people know this band exists.

Without a doubt Andromeda are one of my all-time favourite bands, and this, their debut release, is exactly why. It may seem ludicrous to think a band can get a five-star rating with their first outing, but damn, 'Extension of the Wish' really is that good! If you're into prog metal, do yourself a favour and get this album now.

Musically, I'd say that Manifest Tyranny is best described as melodic progressive metal, but with a more raw and heavy edge. While still quite complex, there are lots of crushing guitar riffs throughout the album, and the raw production further exemplifies the heavy edge that Andromeda favors on this release. While far from revolutionary, Manifest Tyranny does not sound like any other band; Andromeda has their own sound, and deserves to be applauded for this. The lyrics dealing with political stigma, corruption in government, and war are also pretty interesting, and I love the way the band is able to incorporate this relevant message into their songs using voiceovers and sound samples. My biggest gripe with Manifest Tyranny is that there aren't a whole lot of great tracks, and even though the whole album is good, it seldom reaches a level of excellence. I'd say "Asylum" and "Go Back to Sleep" are both great tracks, but the rest of Manifest Tyranny seldom exceeds the 'average' mark. A few more impressive compositions would've really done the album wonders - after all, the musicians playing the songs are extremely precise throughout the full 64 minute duration.

Even though I wish Manifest Tyranny were a bit shorter and had a few more great songs, this is still a fairly easy recommendation for modern prog metal enthusiasts. If you're in search of original and lyrically relevant progressive metal with top-notch musicianship and classy melodies, you're bound to be impressed by what Andromeda offers on this observation. 3.5 stars are deserved, and I can safely say that I'll be checking out more albums from these Swedish lads in the future.

Even outside of that though, there's nothing of any value. Calling this "Progressive" is akin to taking a worthless Indie-Rock band and calling them "Alternative" because there's else to do with them. I guess they use a lot of keyboards, and there is a surplus of? odd rhythms? I can't say enough for how bad this concept is. I get that maybe you feel like some super cool social warrior by blaring around all these voice clips, but the whole thing sounds awful. There's really nothing positive I can say about this album other than a few good riffs, and some occasional parts that are mediocre enough to not make me want to immediately hit skip, but these are short lived. If you feel really compelled to understand the experience of listening to "Manifest Tyranny", grab some demos from a second rate prog metal band and play them over conspiracy theory videos on Youtube.

The music is disorganized. It severely lacks any riffs or cohesiveness of songs. The entire album is dragged down by a mass of voiceovers that provide no musical value, and only serve to make the songs more bland. The whole thing is just messy and difficult to listen to. I wouldn't recommend this to fans of any genre, because even though music is a personal statement, it has to be a personal statement through some form of enjoyable melody, otherwise you might as well write an essay. Maybe Andromeda wants to get politically active, but they've got a lot of maturing to do before people take that aspect seriously.

~Dagg (www.blackwindmetal.com)

In any case, I think that "Manifest Tyranny" is a pretty good album which is rich in variation and full of different impressions, but, still, there is a sense of consistency and coherence throughout the album (which is definitely a great strength, sine the album seems to be a concept album, criticizing American foreign politics). Going from semi-thrashy passages over quirky and technical ones to very mellow and melodic ones, generously sprinkling their music with layers of piano parts, electronica elements and plenty of references to classic prog rock, Andromeda invites the listener home for a buffet which will definitely leave even the most insatiable listener feeling satisfied.

The musicianship and production are top notch, and, while Andromeda wear their influences on their sleeves (I detect inspiration from early and more recent Dream Theater, 70s prog rock, recent Iron Maiden, late 90s and early 00s Fates Warning as well as [on the lyrical side] Queensrÿche), Andromeda's brand of progressive metal on this release strikes me as being quite original. While it does contain technical and quirky elements as well as dynamic song structures and spacey things, it never becomes inaccessible.

Andromeda's "Manifest Tyranny" is an original and lyrically relevant progressive metal release which does not disappoint.

(review originally posted at metalmusicarchives.com)

And right I was, as the remainder of te album sounds nothing at all like the prog-metal icons. It is indeed filled with technical prowess, brought forth by Johan Reinholdz guitar work at the front of the mix, as well as diverse intrumental sections, branding the prog-metal formula throughout. Unspoken Words opens the album with a pretty straight-forward and ear-friendly example of such blueprint - one which might take a turn for the flaw, when taken to the extreme lenghts of Starshooter Supreme. Still a lot of fun, though.

Albeit, there is also a great display of time-signature acrobatics that comes across as challenging and interesting rather than cloying, notably In The Deepest Of Waters and Chameleon Carnival - a fast-paced intrumental tune of much appropriate name. These are more adequate to exemplify the less obvious influence of the remaining members: although Johan Reinholdz is the main songwriter and highlighted musician, there is also a powerful rhythmic powerhouse delivered from Thomas Lejon's drumming, one that is both detailed and complex, as well as powerful and loud, in a combination not always within the grasp of the average metal drummer (prog or otherwise). Gert Daun brings in a solid backing of this rhythmic madness on the bass, though flawed (if it should even be so) by his place in the mix. Martin Hedin provides the agile backing of guitar, much to the like of DT's duo, but also employing a distinct contribution to the refreshing tone.

The counterpart of this diverse array of metal styles is heard in the melodious spirit, driven by a greatly inspired guitar, artfully maintaining the balance between technique and emotion. These interesting elements are found mainly in the title-track and Arch Angel, where Lawrence Mackrory's otherwise displaced vocal leads are suited beautifully in their more atmopheric expression. Truly a shame these weren't fitted as strongly or consistently thoughout the rest of the album.

At the end of the record, a most interesting addition to any prog-metal fan, but perhaps not as exciting if this isn't really your cup of tea.