CYCLOPHONIA is a band from Norway that's founded in 1997 primarily doing covers from bands like HELLOWEEN, MANOWAR, BLIND GUARDIAN and RIOT. However the band split up two years later. They had a brief reunion in 2003, with new singer Andreas Angell, but after a short while the band fell apart again. It wasn't until 2008 that today's members came together. A dare by a local concert promoter towards Øystein Kvile Hanssen and Kai Joar Kristensen, two friends in the meantime, to resurrect CYCLOPHONIA with a mixture of old and new members with the challenge was to rehearse a whole set in three months to support TRIOSPHERE. Still it took CYCLOPHONIA a view more years to come out with their debut album "Impact is Imminent",  that's recently did get released through Battlegod Productions, a fast Heavy Metal album with a bit of a twist due to the two singers.

Having two vocalists inside a band is more common today than that it once was. However two great singers won't guarantee a great sound altogether even though I love the classic combination of light and dark vocalists. Still when there's no real contrast between the vocalists it's quite more difficult to make them sound great together. They have to be constant aware of each other to be able to stay away from the out of tune sound caused by two notes hitting too close next to each other. Cause like with the keys of the piano, no matter how clear the notes are played, the notes that are hit at the same time will be also responsible for how the note will sound.

The first thing that hit me while listening to CYCLOPHONIA and their debut album "Impact is Imminent" was the very thin line the vocalists are walking on. Both great singers, but my ears didn't always agree with their harmony. However it did hit me too that both the singers are kicking ass separately and sometimes the even do sound digestible together.

The guitar players, bass player and drummer do make up a lot with their tight playing, sounding like a team should. Fast rolling and ready to kick some ass. Guess that makes me hope that the vocalists will be able to develop more feel for each other before they hit the studio again. Great as they are, they should be able to do so. But I guess it's all in ear of the listener.