By John Bedard
Few things get my hopes as high as seeing melodic metal and power metal as descriptors for an album I’m about to listen to. This is such a fun epic genre it is hard to not be excited especially when things open with that high “aaaAAAAAAHHHHH” building scream the genre is known for. I was looking forward to a good time. That being said it is not an easy genre to really stand out in. It is hard to nail and there is so much competition. So, the question is how does ‘Flag of Hope’ do?
Musically there is a wonderful amount of complexity. Especially with the guitar. There is an incredible amount of talent. Not one note is out of place and the complexity of some of the riffs are outstanding. Almost too good. It almost seems computer perfect. Sometimes it takes a little imperfection to perfect something and I got that feeling here. Don’t get me wrong it is an incredible display of skill and is absolutely worth the experience but I will admit at times it just felt a little too perfect and kinda lacked that human feeling I was looking for.
Vocally, I have pretty similar feelings. It is a perfect example of the genre, polished to a perfect shine. The vocals and the music excellently complement each other. Coming forward and falling back in the mix and in complexity so that no one component of the song outshines any other. Once again though things are so flawless that I get the feeling that I lose a little of that human passion. It seems like a strange thing to be complaining about something being too good and too refined but I found myself almost hoping they would miss a note or something to add that human character to it.
I don’t want anyone to misunderstand me. This is a fantastic album and absolutely worth your time. It is a piece of art and has a wonderful variety to the whole experience. It is a masterclass in technical skills. I just felt there was a little bit of a lack of feeling. Like a prodigy painter having to do a simple portrait when he should be painting the Sistine Chapel. Sure, it will be a beautiful portrait, but will it have all that painter’s passion poured into it? I hope this is not too abstract of an analogy. In spite of my confusing complaining about perfection, this is one you should absolutely pick up. It is a wonderful experience.
- ‘Flag of Hope’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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