For some inexplicable reason, I had a great anxiety to hear this album. It feels like ages ago and in a sense it has been ages, since I was first exposed to Henrick Flyman's musical genius, via the Moahni Moahna albums, their debut a classy neoclassical, faux-Rainbow affair and their sophomore, a wacked out, freakazoid, prog, completely played out, masterful piece of weirdness!
When The man who plays what's “left”, (or was it right?) resurfaced in Evil Masquerade, I absolutely loved, that the wackiness, was retained, albeit presented in a more power metal context.
A large part of their appeal was because of Henrick Brockmann’s odd and eerie vocals, that might have been an acquired taste for some, but I felt were perfect, for the band’s style. Switching vocalists to Apollo Papathanasio, the current vocalist of Firewind seemed odd, but I suppose sounded ok, so the past two releases, were deemed quite acceptable offerings. Enter “Pentagram”. Switching from the mighty Frontiers, to the eclectic, but really hapless Escape and then to a private company, must have meant, that the overall, appeal of the band hasn’t exactly exceeded expectations or burst dams, which is really a shame, since what they do is quite artistic and musically valid. Then on the other hand, if your music is going to be either misrepresented or really minisculy exposed due to the inability of a company to promote you, you might as well, make the decision to take things into your own hands.
I have to admit that the first couple of times that I played the album, something felt, odd! I felt the vocals to be really, not fitting the music. The more I played the album I realized that what annoyed me, was the mix, which while not bad, is a little too punchy, with the vocals being too loud and too dominant – just a bit more than they should have been. Also I feel that Apollo could possibly have used a little more variation in some of his performances to make them sound more impressive and adventurous… While the whole musical style, has a Rainbow/Sabbath/Dio vibe and the whole bands pulls it off well, there's something that's a little amiss. Combined, with the fact that the tempo of the album overall is in the mid territory, I am of the opinion that a couple of more up-tempo songs, would have greatly benefited the whole.
Don’t get me wrong though. My quibbles aside, production wise, the album, has plenty of stuff for one to sink their teeth in. The title track, that serves as an opener, is quite energetic and impresses. “A Silhouette” which serves as a single is one of the better outings of the band, positively dream-like but also twisted and evil and it also has a hell of a chorus! “Perfect Disgrace” which follows, is very fitting, with a similar overall dark tone, but it’s decidedly punchier!
“The Spirits of the Dead” is so dark and domineering that it could have almost positively been on a Dio or Sabbath album and few would have complained. “Moonlight Fantasy” ain’t too bad, either, but it’s placement, after a slow and dark number is rather questionable. You see it has this thumping beat and an extremely funky bass line, so it’s a bit like dark disco rock, so, sequence wise, it sandwiching it between its predecessor, and the equally slow dark and “evil” “Unholy Water” doesn’t quite work as well as planned. Plus, “Unholy Water” sounds like a throwaway, a slower more primal version of “a Silhouette”, at least rhythmically. “Pray for Mercy on our Souls” is not bad, as it kinda, picks interest a bit after it’s rather uninteresting precursor. “Soul Taker” is quite the charming little number, with a really sly and sexy rhythm, that I cannot help to feel, belongs to some other song, by some other artist... hehe, it’s solo however, is a little gem and completely original. “On a Bed of Thorns” is sickeningly heavy and crushing and bears some similarity to “The Well of Souls” by Candlemass. There’s even an Ozzy, like evil laughter somewhere in there. On this song – Apollo, really shines and utilizes his talents to a greater extent than he does elsewhere. “Strangers Might Fool ‘Ya” is a weird little piece of balladry, an interlude-type of song, with a marching drum right there in the middle.... odd for sure but hauntingly beautiful as well. “When the Fire Dies” is yet another haunting mid-tempo number, that’s full of clichés (blood red skies – anyone?) and has another great performance, vocally, although, I feel it could have greatly benefited, from something like a keyboard or short guitar solo in the middle. Ultimately, “The Golden Ratio” works as a vet odd and rather up-tempo (now that’s something rather unusual) – outro, to the album. It’s got an intriguing melody, but on the other hand it feels more like a transition song rather than an outro.
All in all, Evil Masquerade on this, their fifth, attempt, present us with a worthwhile, yet somewhat, incomplete, in my eyes, piece of work, that could have been one of their most impressive ones yet, had they invested a little more time and effort, I guess. Well, surely worth checking out, but not something I’d lose my mind over either. In the immortal words/(titles) of Rainbow, “Maybe Next Time”…?
When The man who plays what's “left”, (or was it right?) resurfaced in Evil Masquerade, I absolutely loved, that the wackiness, was retained, albeit presented in a more power metal context.
A large part of their appeal was because of Henrick Brockmann’s odd and eerie vocals, that might have been an acquired taste for some, but I felt were perfect, for the band’s style. Switching vocalists to Apollo Papathanasio, the current vocalist of Firewind seemed odd, but I suppose sounded ok, so the past two releases, were deemed quite acceptable offerings. Enter “Pentagram”. Switching from the mighty Frontiers, to the eclectic, but really hapless Escape and then to a private company, must have meant, that the overall, appeal of the band hasn’t exactly exceeded expectations or burst dams, which is really a shame, since what they do is quite artistic and musically valid. Then on the other hand, if your music is going to be either misrepresented or really minisculy exposed due to the inability of a company to promote you, you might as well, make the decision to take things into your own hands.
I have to admit that the first couple of times that I played the album, something felt, odd! I felt the vocals to be really, not fitting the music. The more I played the album I realized that what annoyed me, was the mix, which while not bad, is a little too punchy, with the vocals being too loud and too dominant – just a bit more than they should have been. Also I feel that Apollo could possibly have used a little more variation in some of his performances to make them sound more impressive and adventurous… While the whole musical style, has a Rainbow/Sabbath/Dio vibe and the whole bands pulls it off well, there's something that's a little amiss. Combined, with the fact that the tempo of the album overall is in the mid territory, I am of the opinion that a couple of more up-tempo songs, would have greatly benefited the whole.
Don’t get me wrong though. My quibbles aside, production wise, the album, has plenty of stuff for one to sink their teeth in. The title track, that serves as an opener, is quite energetic and impresses. “A Silhouette” which serves as a single is one of the better outings of the band, positively dream-like but also twisted and evil and it also has a hell of a chorus! “Perfect Disgrace” which follows, is very fitting, with a similar overall dark tone, but it’s decidedly punchier!
“The Spirits of the Dead” is so dark and domineering that it could have almost positively been on a Dio or Sabbath album and few would have complained. “Moonlight Fantasy” ain’t too bad, either, but it’s placement, after a slow and dark number is rather questionable. You see it has this thumping beat and an extremely funky bass line, so it’s a bit like dark disco rock, so, sequence wise, it sandwiching it between its predecessor, and the equally slow dark and “evil” “Unholy Water” doesn’t quite work as well as planned. Plus, “Unholy Water” sounds like a throwaway, a slower more primal version of “a Silhouette”, at least rhythmically. “Pray for Mercy on our Souls” is not bad, as it kinda, picks interest a bit after it’s rather uninteresting precursor. “Soul Taker” is quite the charming little number, with a really sly and sexy rhythm, that I cannot help to feel, belongs to some other song, by some other artist... hehe, it’s solo however, is a little gem and completely original. “On a Bed of Thorns” is sickeningly heavy and crushing and bears some similarity to “The Well of Souls” by Candlemass. There’s even an Ozzy, like evil laughter somewhere in there. On this song – Apollo, really shines and utilizes his talents to a greater extent than he does elsewhere. “Strangers Might Fool ‘Ya” is a weird little piece of balladry, an interlude-type of song, with a marching drum right there in the middle.... odd for sure but hauntingly beautiful as well. “When the Fire Dies” is yet another haunting mid-tempo number, that’s full of clichés (blood red skies – anyone?) and has another great performance, vocally, although, I feel it could have greatly benefited, from something like a keyboard or short guitar solo in the middle. Ultimately, “The Golden Ratio” works as a vet odd and rather up-tempo (now that’s something rather unusual) – outro, to the album. It’s got an intriguing melody, but on the other hand it feels more like a transition song rather than an outro.
All in all, Evil Masquerade on this, their fifth, attempt, present us with a worthwhile, yet somewhat, incomplete, in my eyes, piece of work, that could have been one of their most impressive ones yet, had they invested a little more time and effort, I guess. Well, surely worth checking out, but not something I’d lose my mind over either. In the immortal words/(titles) of Rainbow, “Maybe Next Time”…?
