Bloodlines
Pyramaze
The international progressive power metal band, PYRAMAZE will soon release their seventh full-length album, "Bloodlines," on AFM Records. I started listening to PYRAMAZE when they dropped "Disciples Of The Sun" and I have enjoyed both albums that followed. Here are my thoughts about this new album. While every member of PYRAMAZE is a master of their craft, Terje Harøy's vocals have always been at the forefront of their music. The same is true of "Bloodlines." PYRAMAZE set out to create an album that encompasses their sonic journey up until this point, while still representing their next evolutionary step as a band. They have largely succeeded.
The album begins with the mostly instrumental track, "Bloodlines," which sets the stage for the epic follower, "Taking What's Mine." This track features some great power metal with a catchy chorus and a big finish. Nearly every song on this album has an engaging chorus and explosive finale right at the song's end. For a progressive band, this feels a little too predictable. It's almost too much of a good thing. The duet with Melissa Bonny (AD INFINITUM, THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON), "Alliance," is nice except for the overuse of a chorus effect on the vocals. This effect is used in every chorus on "Bloodlines," as well as on a significant amount of the rest of the vocals. The effect diminishes the showcase value of Harøy's soulful singing voice. Overall, both Harøy's and Bonny's voices sound great together.
The upbeat, "The Midnight Sun," features guest guitar work from Tim Hansen, who happens to be the son of HELLOWEEN and GAMMA RAY guitarist and founding member, Kai Hansen. This track gets off to a dynamic start with some great keyboard playing by Jonah Weingarten interspersed with Hansen's infectious riffing. The chorus in this song felt bland after so many similar-sounding choruses. At first, I was on board, but by the third time around, I had had enough.
The most progressive track on "Bloodlines" is "The Mystery." This song features two guest guitarists, Andrew Kingsley (UNLEASH THE ARCHERS) and Olof Mörck (AMARANTHE). Again, the chorus is catchy, but the keyboard plays a much larger role. The songwriting of this track in particular is especially intriguing. There are major synthesizer parts that kind of come out of nowhere but are nonetheless a welcome change. Both guest solos are divided by one of these apropos synth lines.
The closer, "Wolves Of The Sea," is a callback to the title track in that they are both epic instrumentals with female choral vocals. This song is the cherry on top of an extremely sweet sundae. As a whole, "Bloodlines" is an enjoyable listen. Some overused elements can become tiring, but never grating. This isn't a traditional power metal album by any stretch, but there still were some missed opportunities in the progressive department. I would have liked to have heard more tracks like "The Mystery" and more varied, out-of-the-box songwriting. Diehard PYRAMAZE fans will be delighted with "Bloodlines." I am still going to suggest that the uninitiated begin with "Disciples Of The Sun."
8 / 10
Excellent
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Bloodlines" Track-listing:
1. Bloodlines
2. Taking What's Mine
3. Fortress
4. Broken Arrow
5. Even if You're Gone
6. Alliance
7. The Midnight Sun
8. Stop the Bleeding
9. The Mystery
10. Wolves of the Sea
Pyramaze Lineup:
Morten Gade Sørensen - Drums
Jonah Weingarten - Keyboards, Orchestrations
Jacob Hansen - Guitars, Bass, Vocals (Backing)
Terje Harøy - Vocals
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