HALCYON WAY - review added 18th November 2010
Album Review: Building The Towers (2010)
For fans of: Progressive Metal... and sheer oomph
Halcyon Way, from Atlanta, Georgia, is Steve Braun on vocals, Jon Bodan and Zane on guitars and backing vocals, Kris Maltenieks on bass and death vocals, and Ernie Topran on drums. The band's debut "A Manifesto For Domination" - produced by James Murphy (Testament, Death, Obituary) - came out in 2008. "Building The Towers" - this time with Lasse Lammert at the helm - is the follow-up.
BTT also marks the recording debut with the band of new vocalist Steve Braun (ex-Ashent). Pamela Moore, best known for here work with Queensryche, guests on several tracks too.
The sound is brutally heavy and wonderfully melodious, and it's all tied together with an accessible yet complex progressive structure. The album boasts a superbly balanced production and great musicianship. Add in the quality of the songwriting and this is a very easy album to be instantly impressed with.
Good:
That guitar tone. Oh my god! Yeah, those strings sound good. The rhythms and vocals aren't 'alf bad either. There's plenty of variety throughout the album, so this isn't a release you get bored of halfway through. Most of what Halcyon Way have created here is excellent, so I should just write the word "everything" here and be done with it.
Not So Good:
Not a lot. The vocals are okay rather than utterly excellent. In fact the only true downer is that guitarist Jon Bodan has been diagnosed with Lymphoma since the album was finished, and that sucks.
The Songs:
'Rise to Revise' is an explosive start to the album and mixes death metal, metalcore, rock and prog into something rather splendid. 'Death of a Dream' ventures a little more into progressive territory, and is almost sing along in places. 'The Age of Betrayal' is a catchy little number with some superb death vocals and twiddly guitar bits. 'The System' plods a bit in places, but when it gets going they are soon forgotten. 'Inversion' boasts beats that could make Thor cry with envy. It's perhaps more impressive than entertaining, but is still a great track by 'normal' standards.
'Mouth Without a Head' is a slower, quieter effort and works beautifully. 'Desecration Day' is back into the heavy groovy sound. It's a song that demands to be pumped. 'Icon of Resolution' is even louder to start with, although the power varies throughout. Love the near-funky section toward the end. 'Inside Looking Out (The Icon & The Ghost)' is a progressive epic. The title track closes the album with some monster guitars, thunderous drums, and...well, it's almost the perfect metal track. Brilliant.
In Summation:
One of the finest progressive metal albums in recent times. "Building The Towers" ebbs and flows throughout. The individual songs aren't always amazing, but as a whole this is a must-have for anyone who loves heavy prog or heavy metal. Buy it.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
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Overall:
Check out... All of it.
Track List:
01. Rise to Revise
02. Death of a Dream
03. The Age of Betrayal
04. The System
05. Inversion
06. Mouth Without a Head
07. Desecration Day
08. Icon of Resolution
09. Inside Looking Out (The Icon & The Ghost)
10. Building the Towers
Label: Nightmare Records
Artist's website(s): Halcyon Way | MySpace | Facebook
