Time Machine - Evil
The Lord of the Rings. Source for many, many metal bands’ lyrics and band names. For example ArcanaXXII, Cirith Ungol and Blind Guardian, to name a few.
Another favourite thing to do for many bands, are concept albums. Where Blind Guardian has a Lord of the Rings based album (“Nightfall in Middle Earth", the epic metal band Rhapsody writes their own concept stories, which are, in general, well-recieved by the world press.
In 1992, a progressive metal band from Italy emerges from a pizza (no, just kidding. Sorry, I couldn’t help it). In this year, Time Machine are formed. The band has an impressive discography, and it is no secret that by Time Machine’s breakthrough, the door for loads of other Italian metal acts was opened to a greater succes.
“Evil” is a concept album that is not inspired by LotR, not by kings & country nor Dungeons & Dragons. No, it is based around the bone-chilling novel “Cherudek” by Italian award-winning writer and history professor Valerio Evangelisti.
“Qerona” is an orchestral instrumental that serves as an intro for “Evil”. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d say Time Machine was a blackmetal band for sure; this song truly honours the title of the album. Let’s move on.
“Where’s My Heaven?” soon wipes your mind clear of the blackmetal thought. A short, but stylisch orchestral intro flows over in a mid-paced melodic heavy metal song. Vocalist Pino Tozzi has a good voice, for that matter. Not too high-pitched, powerful and above all, quite warm – well suited for the slower melodic progressive metal the band produces.
The rest of the songs are well-structured and very melodic. Some great guitarplay with unlikely, progressive yet skillfully played solos is definitely a plus for the album. The sound is very good and the quality is excellent.
The variety in drums is good enough, but most of the songs have a mid-paced to slow rythm. I realize of course that it is no speedmetal, but still. I would’ve liked to hear a bit more speedy riffs once in a a while.
“Hailing Souls” is of the few songs in which somewhat faster riffs do rise from the well-performed, yet slow orchestral beauty, which is good to hear.
Although I do not know the novel upon which “Evil” is based, I can tell you that it must be one hell of a book which will get you to shiver in no-time. The atmosphere has been created in the best possible way, I think. There are times where the orchestra leans more to the back in order to let the guitars take the front and vice versa.
Only minus is that the album is somewhat slower than I had anticipated. As for the rest: great piece of work!
Time Machine is:
Pino Tozzi – vocals
Gianluca Ferro – guitars
Lorenzo Deho – bass
Eddy Antonini – keyboards
Claudio Riotti – drums
Tracklist:
1. Qerona (instrumental)
2. Where’s My Heaven?
3. Army Of The Dead
4. Eyes Of Fire
5. Ecclesia Spiritualis
6. Neqhentropia
7. Evil Lies
8. Angel Of Death
9. Hailing Souls
10. Silent Bells (instrumental)
11. Eyes Of Fire (Daemon mix)
1. Qerona (instrumental)
2. Where’s My Heaven?
3. Army Of The Dead
4. Eyes Of Fire
5. Ecclesia Spiritualis
6. Neqhentropia
7. Evil Lies
8. Angel Of Death
9. Hailing Souls
10. Silent Bells (instrumental)
11. Eyes Of Fire (Daemon mix)
76/1001Details Limb Music Products
Released on Tuesday Nov 30th, -0001
Progressive Metal
Writer @Boek on Wednesday Mar 30th, 2005
Tags: #Time Machine
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