Eynomia – Break Free (CD)

I will admit I’m not a big fan of power metal or symphonic metal bands like Nightwish and Within Temptation, especially when the vocals become too “operatic”. I do, however, have a soft spot for some stuff by bands such as Evanescence, but they are a bit too uneven to really grab me. Well, despite these slightly off-turning facts, for some reason, Eynomia really did grab me! They do have elements of power metal and they and Evanescence do have lots of common denominators, but there’s still something different with this band that I really like. Singer Phyllis Rutter is not a high pitch operatic singer but has a more smooth and classic rock touch to her voice, which fits like a glove with the music. I’d also say Eynomia has picked a thing or two from bands like Fates Warning and Symphony X (maybe because basist Mike LePond is in the band as well) to blend into the symphonic rock mix, making it more appealing to fans of prog-oriented metal. It’s melodic yet not poppy or overly commercial. Chris Bickley (Thunderhead) does a great job giving the lead guitars an extra edge as well. There’s some kick ass solos and really nice acoustic work going on here. The songs range from heavy, almost Queensryche oriented stuff like “Let It Go” and “Till We Meet Again” to soft and atmospheric ballads like “Through Your Eyes” with Bickley channeling his inner Roger Gilmour here and there. However, the song I feel could really hit home with fans of Evanescence is “Someday Maybe”. A killer track indeed! Could be a hit! Great production, great musicians and high-quality song material! Highly recommended!

Janne Stark

Label: Pure Legend

Year: 2018

Country: USA

-->

Link: www.eynomiaband.com

Chris Bickley – Digital Reflection (CD)

This is US guitarist Chris Bickley’s second effort (it should be noted he also plays with the resurrected 70s American rockers Thunderhead). His first album, Tapestry Of Souls, was a good start, but on Digital Reflection he has definitely perfected his crafts. The album has a better flow, stronger song material and definitely a way better mix. Yes, this is a (mainly) instrumental guitar album, but Chris does write really good songs where the guitar handles the “vocals”, so not only a lot of shredding, but actual melodies. Chris is backed by bassist Dino Fiorenza and drummer Gaetano Nicolosi, both great musicians who provide a solid foundation for Chris guitar playing. Dino also does some pretty impressive slapping here and there. Furthermore, Jimmy Pitts fills out the cracks and crevices with some nice keyboards. The album also features some other guest guitarists, such as Adrian English and Mike Abdow. The songs range from mid/up-tempo rockers to soft and nice ballads such as Arigato and one of the two vocal tracks, Tragedy (sung by Steve Johnstad). The other vocal track is a surprising cover of Iron Maiden’s Wasted Years, sung by Teri Lane. She does a good job, even though I would have wished for a bit more edge and a little less vibrato. It’s a good track, but I honestly don’t think it fits that well into the rest of the material. If Chris would’ve made an instrumental version it would maybe have been a bit more fitting. Well, the rest of the material kicks ass, and it’s a great album indeed! Shredding is alive and well!

Janne Stark

Country: USA

Year: 2017

Label: Shredguy Records