Utopia

Zenith Reunion

A Progressive Heavy Metal band straight from Oulu, Finland, I give you: ZENITH REUNION.Influenced by […]
By Sharon "Metal Chick" Bar-Or
August 23, 2012
Zenith Reunion - Utopia album cover

A Progressive Heavy Metal band straight from Oulu, Finland, I give you: ZENITH REUNION.Influenced by RAINBOW, DIO, DREAM THEATER, SYMPHONY X, ACCEPT, METALLICA, MEGADETH and more, ZENITH REUNION are coming with their newest album UTOPIA.

I always like to give to you, my readers, and some "history knowledge" about some things. So I'd like to take a moment here to explain to you what is Utopia: So, Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was coined in Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book "Utopia", describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt to create an ideal society, and fictional societies portrayed in literature. It has spawned other concepts, most prominently dystopia. However there are a lot of varieties to Utopia; Ecology, Economics, Politics and history meanings, Religious, Science so as you can see, Utopia has many sides, which brings me to ZENITH REUNION.

Decisively and clearly, most of the tracks are about a lot of the varieties I've mentioned earlier. ZENITH REUNION made "Utopia" an ideal of what see and know about the world: "Victim of Time" (The sixth track) is actually the best track to describe their point of view for what "Utopia" is.

Although ZENITH REUNION call themselves a Progressive Heavy Metal band, it's very clear to me that they're more "Heavy" than "Progressive"; More IRON MAIDEN guitar riffs, solos and general nature of clear drumming work than DREAM THEATER melodically complicated theatrical keyboards, guitar riffs and drumming techniques. From a lyrical point of view, I believe ZENITH REUNION took some of DREAM THEATER's ideas and their own and put them both together to create a semi-original lyrical base line.
 

When it comes to the band members and their unique musical technique I think that the most talented and got most of the limelight and my attention are the two fine gentlemen; Jukka IhmeJukka Uusi-Illikainen (Guitar / Backing vocals); Although some of the guitar riffs have been heart before (Semi-Original) I have to say the guitar solos are amazing and original 100%!!! And most importantly, with high accuracy!!! Great work!!!

Now, because I'm a singer and a songwriter I have a special place in my heart to lead vocalists. Jouni Juurikka, I am about to say to you some thoughts that crossed my mind when I heard your vocal abilities: You sound very monotonic and a bit chaotic: so the chaotic part is manageable and I can get used to it after a while but you've got to do something because you sound extremely monotonic. Even DIO (May he rest in peace) had a diversified vocal abilities: he had many shapes and colors to his voice. I won't say- be DIO but I will say to get some colors to your voice because you have a good voice but you need more than that and I'm sure that you have much more than what you brought to "Utopia".

Generally, "Utopia" is a good concept to all things around us and I enjoyed it a lot.

8 / 10

Excellent

"Utopia" Track-listing:

1. Can't Feel the Pain
2. Naked Boy
3. Dust
4. Gone Forever
5. FF
6. Victim of Time
7. Truth Inside
8. Darkness Fall
9. Utopia

Zenith Reunion Lineup:

Jouni Juurikka- Vocals
Jukka Ihme - Guitar/Backing vocals
Jukka Uusi-Illikainen - Guitar/Backing vocals
Jukka Jokikokko - Bass/Backing vocals
Ville Hanhisuanto - Drums/Backing vocals

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