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"surprisingly dynamic, melodic and aggressive at the same time, alternating more emotional and majestic passages with sudden bursts of mighty guitar riffs and soulful acoustic interludes." 4/5 |
OTHYRWORLD Beyond into the Night of Day (Othyrworld) 2005 SACRED BLADE Of the Sun + Moon (Othyrworld) 1999/1986 by James Wayman Sacred Blade were a highly touted power/progressive metal band who operated in a similar sonic area to bands like Fates Warning and Crimson Glory. They appeared on a METAL MASSACRE compilation, recorded a number of demos made one classic underground album, and fell apart after recording several demos for a followup. Taken nearly 20 years after its initial release, OF THE SUN + MOON is deserving of the positive accolades that I've seen online (via BNR Metalpages, Fan Sites, and other electronic media). It combines futuristic sci-fi style themes (a la Crimson Glory or pre-MINDCRIME Queensryche) with a progressive metal sound that was a little darker and crunchier. There is definitely a strong prog influence here, though I'm recognizing it as more of a Pink Floyd or early Genesis influence rather than a Yes, Rush, or ELP one. The only criticism I can make is that the vocals really weren't as strong as those found in their peers. Fast forward 13 years later, and the remaining members of Sacred Blade (leader Jeff Ulmer and drummer Ted Sawadzki) form a new project called OTHYRWORLD. BEYOND INTO THE NIGHT OF DAY was released in early 2005, and includes a couple of newly recorded songs from the Sacred Blade album, as well as several new originals composed by Ulmer. The new coat of paint on the older songs is interesting to me, though I imagine long time fans cringing at seeing updates to "classic" metal performances. As of this moment, the albums can only be bought through the Othyrworld website (www.othyrworld.com), and a special is being offered if both albums are purchased at once. I highly recommend these records to fans of Crimson Glory, Warlord, Fates Warning, or Trouble. |
