VINDICTIV - review added 17th June 2009
Album Review: Ground Zero (2009)
For fans of: Prog Metal... and guest singers
Ground Zero is Vindictiv's 2nd full length release. The first was great, if occasionally hit and miss... but when it hit, boy did it HIT! The production, and the pure 'sound' of the band were exceptional.
Former Yngwie singer Goran Edman returns for the follow-up and still sounds great, although he's joined on this record by a couple of other vocalists... who we shall discuss in due course.
The main band is completed by Stefan Lindholm (guitars and keyboards), Pontus Larsson (keyboards), Zoltan Csorsz (drums) and Nalle Pahlsson (bass). Stefan Lindholm's guitar playing again treads the Yngwie Malmsteen path. When you add in the guest vocals of Mark Boals, the whole album could be an Yngwie-fest.
However, the overall sound doesn't tie in with Swedish virtuoso's style at all. Vindictiv's music is hyper-proggy but accessible. They experiment, almost cock about in places, but the off-camber intonations are always there for a reason. They don't prog it up for the sake of it. This is a complex, disjointed symphony with a technical brilliance and massive musical appeal.
Opening track 'Modern World' initially sounds like a refined version of Dream Theater, but then it really heavies up and throbs like the heart of a biological machine. The chorus is surprisingly sweet sounding given the heaviness of the verses, and overall it's an interesting introduction to the new album. The title track is very experimental, almost futuristic. The combinations of keyboards and drums are out of this world and, although the song never seems to get anywhere, its neo-progressive structures are compulsive listening.
'Reach Out' starts in anonymous style but, as soon as Oliver Hartmann's vocals commence, you know you're in for a ride and a half. The key and timing changes are unexpected and brilliant; the chorus is reminiscent of the best tracks Jorn's Masterplan put out. 'Venom' has a brutally heavy opening that settles into a combination of prog and thrash. Mark Boals sings on this track and sounds as sensational as ever. It's a likeable track with some fabulous moments - especially the chorus - and offers a welcomed extra dimension to the album.
Speaking of extra dimension, you've got to love the spaceship effects on 'Tweedledum and Tweedledee'! It's as if there's one of the craft from Close Encounters circling near your ears whilst you're listening. Have to say, there seem to be a lot of bands using spaceship/phazer sounds in their tracks at present. At Rock Realms, we're a big fan! 'I'm Back Home', again featuring the magnificent Oliver Hartmann on vocals, is a melodic masterpiece. The verses offer a nice warm-up, but the chorus is where it's at. It's full of energy and passion and ridiculously catchy. It's so good you wonder why no one has written and recorded the track before.
'Martha’s Song' and 'Overshoot Day' are both solid tracks which do little to tickle the taste buds... and that's taking into account the fact they literally sing about fluffy bunnies on the latter... huh? 'No Matter What', at over 8 minutes, is the longest track on the album. It's a slow number with a few changes of direction. The best way I could describe it is as a progressive power ballad. Some of the excerpts are achingly catchy, and some of the riffs are as grinding as a millstone. Final song 'The Sacrifice', again featuring on Oliver Hartmann on vocal duties, is operatic at times. It closes the album with a mature slant.
The songs on Ground Zero are generally very good. There are a few lesser moments but the music never descends into dirge. Any weaker spots don't take away from the overall excellence. The result is almost on a parr with the first release, and without doubt an essential purchase.
Check out... 'I'm Back Home' with Oliver Hartmann on vocals. We like.
Track List:
01. Modern World
02. Ground Zero
03. Reach Out
04. Golden Gate
05. Venom
06. Tweedledum and
Tweedledee
07. I’m Back Home
08. Martha’s Song
09. Overshoot Day
10. No Matter What
11. The Sacrifice
Label: Escape Music
Artist's websites: Vindictiv , MySpace
