Solid Prog
Since the emergence of Dream Theater at the beginning of the nineties, there has been a movement of progressive metal slowly creeping onto the metal scene. It may not have been as big as a bandwagon but since the success of the afore mention band, record companies haven't been as afraid to sign prog metal bands. The concept of long, drawn out, meandering songs with just enough grit to keep the metal fan interested, is a good antidote to the screamo, and core styles of bands currently infecting the music channels today. Hungarian Progressive metallers 'Age of Nemesis' joins the fray with their new album 'Psychogeist' and as expected it's full of storytelling, grandiose keyboards and interesting musical passages.
The problem with playing progressive metal is that you'll instantly be compared to the mighty Dream Theater, which is unfair, yet hardly surprising as their influence is recognisable right through the sixty minute playing time. I'm not sure if this is intentional or just a by-product of being fans of the genre, but influences aside, Psychogeist is a solid and interesting affair.
The first six tracks on 'Psychogeist' are part of one long story, and to Age of Nemesis's credit, all six tracks have an individual feel, not relying on one or two re-occurring themes and ideas to plug the gaps. The story concentrates of the breaking up of a family, the son goes off with the father, who after many years is found dead and the son withdrawn into himself, living in a house full of hideous medical implements. Concepts such as this can cause some metal fans to run, screaming for the exits. Other metal fans, including myself, love the element of storytelling within the music as long as it's done well. (E.g. Operation Mindcrime - Queensryche)
The guitars are down-tuned and are very dry in a sound similar to Symphony X. This gives the album the grit and the power it needs, otherwise the massive use of spacey and quite frankly, cheesy choice of keyboard sounds, would take over and make the album an irritating listen. 'Faceless Enemy' is perhaps the CD's best moment with it's up-tempo groove, however it's let down by the naff sounding bell-like keyboards at the end of the main guitar passage. The title track is another pick of the bunch, it's pace coupled with the guitar and keyboard duelling at the beginning is compelling, and could have been longer, but it's ideas like this that make prog metal such an entertaining sub-genre.
After the usual mid album instrumental, which, really does sound like Dream Theater but Dream Theater at their best, the tail end of Psychogeist is a mixed bag. 'Eye of the Snake' is a catchy, well-worked number that utilises the band's best assets, whereas Karma sounds a little stretched, mainly due to the fact that the basic riffs and melody aren't as good as previously heard on the disc. The eight-minute finale, 'Abraxas' is a fitting end and a good vehicle for Zoltan Kiss's clean and appealing vocals. He may not have the range or power of James LaBrie, but he equips himself to the music well and fits the style of the band perfectly.
The great musicianship, the interplay between instruments, good solos and the inventive instrumental breaks are all key ingredients for prog metal, and I am happy to say 'Psychogeist' contains them all. Their ideas may not be as infectious or appealing as the cream of this sub-genre, but hopefully they'll mature as songwriters in the years to come. Any fan of Symphony X, Elegy or even Nocturnal Rites may be well advised to check these out Hungarian proggers. 'Psychogesit' may not win them much mainstream attention, but within the realms of the prog metal fraternity, they'll hopefully be welcome with open arms.