Invictus - Persecution 4/5
Reviewed: 6-26-09
Tracklist:
1. Face to face part I
2. Kill the dogs
3. Silence of death
4. Agony of war
5. Spiral
6. Face to face part II
7. Face to face part III
8. The eclipse of the world
9. See you black
10. Demons
11. Rosy rose
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Do you remember this French band? They released their full-length debut 'Black heart' way back in 2003 through Limb Music Products, but sometime after that, their contract with LMP ended, and even though they recorded another CD a few years later (with the working title 'Medley'), they struggled to grab a record deal and it wasn't until this year that they were finally picked up (by the fairly obscure Escape Music), and were able to release the CD, now with the appropriate title 'Persecution'. What's remarkable however, is that they've obtained the same line-up, regarding every single member(!), which is something that's extremely rare these days.
While their debut is your typical progressive/symphonic power metal CD (similar to Kamelot, amongst others), this CD has shelled the symphonic elements and takes a much more diverse approach, offering up progressive/power metal with very slight modern tendencies, and there's even an alternative feel in spots. It's not at all what I expected, but thing is, it totally works, and the more I listen to this CD the more I like it. Seriously, on paper, this is not really my kinda thing, but I'm finding that it's memorable and oozes passion.
I like this CD from start to finish, but my favorite song is the ultra-catchy track 5 "Spiral", and the following instrumental "Face to face part II" is terrific. I also very much like the 2 acoustic-style slow songs (track 4 "Agony of war" and track 7 "Face to face part III", which follows the mentioned instrumental), as they're emotional and I look forward to them every time I begin to spin the CD. What can I say, I'm a sucker for beautiful ballads.
Besides the change of style and the fact that I like this CD a lot, the other aspect that really stands out is vocalist Frederic Glo, who I considered to be unique with their debut, and that fact is even more evident here. Man, this guy leaves an impression, and a lasting one. The music is strong enough by itself, but with Frederic behind the mic, this is a talented band that has obviously become very cohesive over the years.
To sum up, I want to first mention that my earlier comments regarding hints of a modern/alternative sound should not scare you away, as the CD's base style is definitely progressive/power metal. Also, while it's easy for me to call this CD outstanding (as it truly has reached that point for me personally), checking out samples before purchasing is surely recommended. Still, if you're looking for a fresh twist on the progressive/power metal genre, this might do the trick.
CLINT
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