Review of Time Requiem - Time Requiem

First a disclaimer: power metal isn't my area of expertise, so any comparisons I make may seem odd or just ludicrous, but I do know quality musicianship when I hear it. Time Requiem's self-titled debut album exudes quality from all pores. This is best described as neo-classical power/progressive metal, and I hope you like keyboards, because this album has more noodling than a case of ramen. A project of keyboard virtuoso Richard Andersson(ex-Majestic), Time Requiem is in the vein of bands like Symphony X and possibly Yngwie Malmsteen, but in this case the spotlight and lightning-fast solos are done on the keys, not the guitars. As you'd expect, the production is superb and the rest of the band is quite talented. The keys are naturally up-front in the mix. Apollo Pathanasio sings in a mid- to low-pitch register, and has one of the better voices in the genre. Magnus Nordh's guitar takes a backseat to Andersson's prowess, while Peter Wildoer's drumming is fast, tight, and creative. Notable songs include the opener and title track, Time Requiem. The intro of this song is ominous and almost gothic - great stuff. At over nine minutes long, the song has time to develop and expand, with numerous tempo and mood changes, although I feel that it's overly done. Milagro's Charm is my favorite song, with rapid double bass drumming and a more-dominant guitar. Beware of the upbeat, addicting chorus. The first two minutes of The Aphorism feels like it would fit in perfectly in a Final Fantasy game, like in a village scene or something. The cheese is strong with this one. Brutal Mentor is an instrumental that is a total keyboard shredfest. Grand Opus has a sweet three-minute instrumental break where the guitars finally get to come out and play. Time Requiem is a well-produced, well-played album that fans of the style will love; although the excessive keys wear me out a bit. While this isn't exactly what I look for in metal, I can't deny the caliber of music on display here. Nice work, men.

Release Details

Time Requiem

Time Requiem

Comments

Related