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OTHYRWORLD
- Beyond Into the Night of Day
April 2005 - Hellion Records - Review by Sir Lord Doom
/ Hellion Catalogue
German version
Hailed as the new
progressive metal monster by several people I knew for their
strange taste, it made my alarm bells ring "morse code progmetal",
for I am not really a friend of that hacked off type
of riffing. But first it comes, second different, third
as you think. Jeff Ulmer, sure, Sacred Blade. Well then,
what is this record going to be like then? Oh, you will
be knowing many of these tracks already. Jeff chose for
his Comeback the way of rerecording tracks from the
absolutely majestic "Of
the sun and moon"
Album refreshed, to give fans of epic and extraordinary (I
don't want to say "progressive" for it will be directly associated
with the masters of morse code prog, Dream Theater and
the hordes of their clones) but still memorable METAL new
access to them. And there is also brandnew material, absolutely
old style, just with a fresh, currently powerful production,
which still comes creeping naturally and not too digitalized.
No triggers here, this is hand made music for every banger
who does not always need the raw power but also some filigree
from time to time. Jeff Ulmer still knows how to spell
the words "Heavy" and "Metal", he is just expanding their horizon
with elements of space and progressive rock, which do never
feel annoying but always inspired. A track like "The Pressing",
coming near the end of the album, has a more rock oriented
character without being less powerful than the majestic
title track, that hits you with a playful, complex but still
catchy approach. Jeff Ulmer's voice is mostly mid ranged,
some times a bit nasal, but from time to time for the more
straight ahead songs he feels like unleashing fantastic metal screams
that will pierce your ear drums. A singer like no other,
who will forevermore have his place among the grand masters
of peculiar metal, namely Steve Sylvester, Mark Shelton,
Tim Baker among others. Complex songwriting just like in case of Othyrworld
/ Sacred Blade should not mean that the material lies absolutely
bulky in your stomach, this band writes songs with a natural
flow in which you can discover so many details that you
will not get tired of them even one decade later. Progmetalfans
need this album as much as lovers of obscure steel for both
sides will get excellent service. Playful structures, pure,
pumping metal, an extraordinary, majestic atmosphere that
drags your spirit far out into infinite space, melodies,
lush and beautiful, without being greasy and filled with
clichés, music lovers cannot ask for more, can they? You
can be sure that this is no fast food at all. Fans of bands
like Rush never got tired of that stuff in the late 70s, maybe just
because the genre picking wasnÕt there in that way and you
could listen to the music more freely without the intention
of consuming. Modern day aggro metal freaks can surely stay
away from here, kids who only go for that heroic or symphonic
metal shall follow them. Jeff Uimer did never care for any
trend, he always celebrated his very own mystical metal.
Now he shall get the recognition he deserves.
Click
here to go to the Hellion Records website
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