...And Rome Shall Fall (Underground Symphony~2002)
I should start by saying that modern power metal is one of my least favorite metal subgenres. Still, I like some elements of the latest release from this Atlanta-based group. Some solid riffs, good solos and even stellar bass work caught my attention. The songs are for the most part catchy without being too simplistic, but the material seems stronger in the first half of the album. Despite those strengths, I don´t care much for this album overall. To me, the drum sound is like fingernails on a chalk board. The snare drum is annoying and distracting and I have no idea why they decided to not have most of the cymbal work in stereo. Most of the time, the cymbals can only be heard from one side. Terrible idea. It doesn´t work, and further distracts from the music´s positive qualities. The drum solo in "Storming The Castle" was truly painful for me to sit through. That damned snare drum just kept going and going. The vocals are technically impressive, I suppose. They´re a bit much after a while, which is perhaps one reason I can tolerate only so much modern power metal. I think I´d probably find this album more appealing if the vocals and drums were edited out... just give me a raw mix of nothing but guitars and bass and call it good.