Before starting my review, allow me to say that I'm not a big fan of this band even though I own a couple of their cd's that I like 'em a lot. This time the band consists of, except Zak Stevens, Bill Hudson of Powerquest on guitars, Mitch Stewart on bass, Henning Wanner of Jaded Heart on keyboards, Adam Sagan on drums and last but not least Christian Wentz on guitars.
Of course, the 'ghost' of Savatage is still around but the new elements are givin' the extra flavor to the album's final result. The voice of Zak is powerful yet still melodic and the guitar duo of Hudson and Wentz is delivering some really nice riffs and solos. The rhythm section is solid and the songs are all well-crafted with very good melodies and a nice production. "Diamond Blade" is a cool opener and features a heavy guitar riff and Stevens mid-range vocal performances. "Without A Sound" is a very good rocker while "Killing Death" reminds me a bit of Dokken's (??) latest works. "Dreams That never Die" is a highlight here!! A heavy but yet melodic riff, a 'darker' mood and a nice chorus line in this solid tune! "Never Gonna Stop" features an up-tempo rhythm and a killer guitar work; another highlight here!! The album closes with the fantastic ballad of "Only Yesterday". A brilliant track with some sentimental vocal performances by Zak Stevens and a very beautiful melody!!
All in all, I have to say that I enjoyed this album a lot. A great mix of melodic hard rock and metal with plenty of melodies, killer guitar lines and, most of all, the heart-full performances of Stevens!
Heavy Paradise's Rating : 8/10
Track List :
01 - Diamond Blade
02 - Without A Sound
03 - Killing Death
04 - Epiphany
05 - End Of Emotion
06 - Dreams That Never Die
07 - Seasons Will Fall
08 - Never Gonna Stop
09 - Isolation
10 - Sweet Despair
11 - Downshot
12 - Only Yesterday
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