Member:
JLucky
Date:
7/5/2005
I don’t think anyone could have predicted the popularity of progressive metal. Since the early seventies we’ve always had the heavy bands, thanks to the likes of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin but I’m convinced that the popularity of prog metal has taken many by surprise. Some will point to Rush’s impact on the sub-genre and correctly see them as igniting the flame that burns today. All that said there is no denying some like their prog with an edge. That being the case let me introduce you to the first self-titled CD from WithoutEnding.
The sound of WithoutEnding is as you would expect, music with a distinctive crunch. But wait, there seems to be more at work here. Because not only do we hear the guitars and rhythm section of bass and drums quickly changing time and tempo in a heartbeat, there is more. That more are the keyboards that play a pretty prominent role here providing the symphonic back drop for many of the compositions such as track 4 “I Still Remember.” But if that concerns you, don’t worry, centre stage on WithoutEnding is reserved first and foremost for the trio of guitar, bass and drums provided by Michael Totta, Sam Schepis and Nicholas Gerogakopoulos respectively. It is also Gerogakopoulos ‘s vocals you hear and thankfully he avoids the pitfall of simply growling or screaming the vocals, instead his delivery is powerful and clear, which to my ears puts WithoutEnding steps ahead of other bands who fail to recognize the importance of lyrical delivery. But then a quick scan of the lyrics and you quickly see WithoutEnding are a band prepared to tackle some weighty issues. Topics of discussion include the meaning of life, temptation, compulsive desires and so forth. Hey and while we’re talking about vocal delivery something should be said about the almost operatic vocal stylizations of Nicoletta Kardas that appear on a couple of the tracks lending yet another dimension to the proceedings. And just for the record, the keyboard assistance is provided by Bill Kadi and the CD’s mixer and producer Endel Rivers.
There are nine-tracks on WithoutEnding’s debut, running out to forty-six minutes. The longest of the compositions is eight-minutes with the shortest being a couple of three-minute songs. As already stated this is prog-metal so you can expect to hear crunching guitars with lots of changing time and tempo, and the usual starts and stops but all handled with a certain sophistication but for my money what makes this a valuable addition to the music library is it’s musical diversity. Just when you think it’s going to be another guitar run, the keyboards step in for a turn. If you are fan of dark and complex prog metal WithoutEnding will make a great addition to your collection and will undoubtedly spend a fair bit of time on the CD player.
|
|
|
