PERSPECTIVE X IV - review added 27th February 2009
Album Review: Shadow Of Doubt (2008)
For fans of: prog metal... and prog reggae?
Perspective X IV is Chris Matthews (bass and keyboards), Rod Middleton (guitar and vocals), and Ben Burton (drums and vocals). The band originate from Middletown, Ohio and play a music much influenced by the wilder works of Rush, Kansas and Fates Warning.
The band's name may hard work, but the music certainly isn't . The tunes are complex but accessible. Think of the album as a giant maze, with Perspective X IV supplying rocket packs to float over the top.
'Disconnected' has a catchy nature buried in its proggy meanderings. The guitar riffs are pleasantly meaty and the song isn't as heavy going as it might have been. 'Carry On' is a step further up the ladder. Even catchier, it's the best song on the album and boasts a wonderfully funky bassline.
The title track makes, in my book at least, a criminal-sized faux pas. One of the reasons I love rock and metal is that they keep my ears far away from reggae. Of all forms of music, reggae irritates the life out of me more than any other. Sadly, against the will of all that is rational, Perspective X IV has attempted to fuse rock and reggae into some sort of ill-advised saliva dripping monstrosity. Clearly, if you like reggae, you might like this. I don't, therefore the song is... arghhh!
The remainder of the album is pleasant enough but never approaches riot-inducingly special. The musicianship is excellent, but the production and singing are merely adequate and don't do the instrumental endeavours justice.
Shadow Of Doubt is an okay album that does little wrong but only a few things right. For fans of prog it is certainly worth looking up, but for those who sit on the fence when it comes to this sort of music, there are better examples of the genre available.
Check out... The bass in 'Carry On'.
Track List:
1. Disconnected
2. Carry On
3. Grey Matter
4. Shadow Of A Doubt
5. The Calm
6. The Smell Of Rain
7. Colossal
8. On The Horizon
9. Shine
Label: Nightmare Records
Artist's websites: Perspective X IV , MySpace
