Primal Rock Rebellion
Awoken Broken

So...

There's the singer from the SikTh, Mikee Goodman, and there's Adrian Smith, guitarist for the Maiden.

The album is relatively new (released at the beginning of 2012) and regarding Smith (here is his biography) it fits into the recent "free" discographic period that the Maiden (in which also Steve Harris ventured into a solo album) have taken between one tour and another. In the case of Goodman, it is a return to the scene, after the dissolution of SikTh: excluding the brilliant guest appearance in "Fur and Gold" by Bat For Lashes and a couple of other contributions (here more info) to minor projects.

How and why the "emotionally" less aligned member of Maiden and a former vocalist of a djent group decided to collaborate is somewhat explained on the official project website (which I attach in the Info) what I know is that they chose a misleading name (Steve Harris was ontologically more correct) because apart from a few "silvered" riffs by Smith, there is nothing "Primal" here.

There is certainly Rock (I don't discuss Rebellion because I don't trust the term, regardless of who promotes it...) or rather Metal (but not as Classic as one might think) which at times transcends into Nu (Metal, I mean) and other times into Prog (same as beside).

There are melodic moments and other more frantic ones, there is Smith's sharp guitar, and there is Goodman's voice (sometimes shouting, sometimes whispering, sometimes declaiming).

There are some unexpectedly sweet parentheses (with particular guests seemingly out of place) and others dramatically violent and distorted.

It all proceeds in waves... Or rather, in surges.

For me, a great album.

Mo.