AT VANCE - review added 18th September 2009
Album Review: Ride The Sky (2009)
For fans of: Power Metal... and vocals to end all vocals
It's no secret; we love Olaf Lenk's band At Vance at Rock Realms. Not only are they a bunch of super-talented chaps - especially Olaf on guitar and Rick Altzi on vocals. They don't seem to be album to perform a duff song; go on YouTube and check out their covers of Supertramp's 'The Logical Song' and ABBA's 'The Winner Takes It All'.
Formerly featuring Oliver Hartmann and Mats Leven, At Vance have never struggled for good vocals. They are now in a different league with Rick. He joined them prior to VII and he sounds just as stunning on Ride The Sky. Imagine Jorn Lande with more warmth and character and you'll have the idea. This guy has to be one of the finest metal vocalists around. He's apparently in a band called Thunderstone too. I'll be checking them out then!
The present day line-up is completed by drummer Alex Landenburg (Annihilator and AXXIS) and bassist Wolfman, who arguably has the coolest parents around if that's actually his birth name ;) I'm glad to see they've continued the trend of squeezing nipples onto their album artwork too. A milk teat is an important addition to any modern power metal album, so At Vance can be proud they haven't let us down.
The sound of Ride The Sky is typical At Vance. It's highly melodious, powerful, beautifully written and immaculately performed. The title track launches the album in speedy fashion. It's a slow builder that only gradually draws you in. Fortunately the chorus is immense, if short lived. It isn't the best thing they've ever done but all is relative. By normal measure 'Ride The Sky' is still pant-moisteningly superb.
Follow-up track 'Torn - Burning Like Fire' is so incredibly funky and brilliant it's difficult to describe. All you can really say is WOW! 'Last In Line' is totally different - supremely bouncy and quick - but the rhythms still grab your attention like a rogue hand around your throat. The chorus is again biblically proportioned and as likeable as a dog with a pint of ale. The cover of Bad Company's 'Wishing Well' isn't so successful. It's an excellent version but simply not as good as the original - it doesn't do anything vastly different to the original either. I much prefer if when At Vance take a totally non-rocking song and do their thang to it. Here's to Dolly Parton's '9 to 5' next time!
'Salvation Day' is a fine track but, in this exalted company, it's a touch lost. 'Vivaldi - Summer 2nd Set' doesn't do a massive amount for me either. As a skill-showcase it's very impressive but, to listen to, it's not so good. Fortunately 'Power' rescues matters with another stormingly potent performance. The chorus is massive and makes for a surprisingly upbeat track. The sorrowful ballad 'You And I' follows, and what a track! It could be a touch too slow and depressing for some, and hints of Grace Kelly's 'True Love' butts in occasionally, but there's little denying the class on show.
'End Of Days', as if trying to recaptured some lost masculinity from the previous ballad, is the heaviest track on the album. It's a contagious effort that seems topsy-turvy in it's construction but works brilliantly anyway. 'Fallin'' follows and, oh how glad we are it does! It's up there with the best songs on the album...in fact it's up there amongst the best of the year. Utterly phenomenal. Final track 'Farewell' is another good'un, if a few bars below the best.
On balance this isn't up there with previous release VII, but it's so close it's hard to worry. At Vance have proved again how unnecessarily talented they are and, with a few songs potentially vying for track of the year, this is not the last we've heard of them in 2009.
Check out... The cool nipple-licious artwork :)
Track List:
01. Ride The Sky
02. Torn - Burning Like Fire
03. Last In Line
04. Wishing Well
05. Salvation Day
06. Vivaldi - Summer 2nd Set
07. Power
08. You And I
09. End Of Days
10. Fallin'
11. Farewell
Label: AFM Records
Artist's website(s): At Vance , MySpace
