Tuesday, February 14, 2012

BEYOND THE BRIDGE: "The Old Man And The Spirit"


Rating: 3/10

Label: Frontiers 2012

Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom

Here's something we've heard a thousand times before and most recently by various minor acts such as Zero Hour, Defyance, Redemption, Arilyn, etc, etc, etc. Who, you ask? My point exactly, they are all (melodic) progressive metal bands, but you can hardly keep track even though if Defyance featured Lance King on lead vocals. I believe it's simply because they are so utterly safe and unoriginal.

Beyond The Bridge are sadly trapped in the usual progressive rock trap where the skill of the musicians hardly match the songwriting. It's ambitious work and the concept of the album deals with the polarity of human sensuousness and superhuman awareness? It lacks however the voice of clarity and using the proper key opens the chests without activating the prog trap. It's a shame, especially since they are obviously seven (7!) hard working band members from the land of Germany. They had to struggle against time and labels in the past only to end up with a below average rating at RockUnited.com. But to be perfectly honest, I can't see why Frontiers decided to sign them in the first place?

I guess the good thing about being in a prog-metal band is you have to be completely useless to be the worst group out there. You can tell from minute one if the musicians are crap, and you never ever have to come up with anything new as long as you keep the instrumental guitar vs. keyboard interludes going. And on the plus side, these guys have one female and one male vocalist.

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