Pyramaze
Immortal

I can't believe it. It can't be.

The Danish Pyramaze are certainly not the epitome of power. Their "class" is debatable, as is their style. What is certain is that their first two albums, "Melancholy beast" (2004) and "Legend of the bone carver" (2006), didn't seem so bad as to foresee the downfall that came with Immortal (2008), to date their last studio work.

And yet, the arrival of Matthew Barlow (already the singer of Iced Earth), endowed with a deep and atypical voice within the metal horizon, had raised more than a few hopes for the successful outcome of Immortal. With his arrival, the departure of the nonetheless positive Lance King behind the microphone was also well accepted.

So, even though everything seemed in place to produce a CD worthy of the Danish tradition (Wuthering Heights and Manticora above all), the "new" Pyramaze failed precisely when it seemed impossible. The opener "Year of the phoenix" highlights all the band's difficulties: the overall feeling that emerges is that of the usual well-played and "recorded" power fare, but lacking effectiveness in incisiveness. Guitarist Kammeyer's group seems to parody Schaffer's Iced Earth, undeniably under the weight of the new vocalist. For his part, Barlow performs his duties diligently, without particularly standing out, although a good performance is noted in the (rather lackluster) ballad "Legacy in a rhyme" where the singer has the task of keeping everything afloat.

One reflection remains: Pyramaze are certainly not the band that can and should revive the genre, but it seems now obvious that all those who try to replicate the past of Helloween, Gamma Ray, or Iced Earth end up failing. The ideas have long been exhausted and there are no variations. Some passable pieces like "Ghost light" and "Touched by the Mara", some well-hit vocal lines, and then nothing.

Even though I'm still searching for something in this musical realm that can still matter, Pyramaze too are being crossed off the list of "potential" good bands. Barlow and the excellent sound quality are not enough to save an album that is the perfect reflection of its genre: a lack of new solutions and recycling of the past. Another one eliminated in the series of "bands that could have said something."

1. "Arise" (1:03)
2. "Year Of The Phoenix" (4:57)
3. "Ghost Light" (6:09)
4. "Touched By The Mara" (5:54)
5. "A Beautiful Death" (4:28)
6. "Legacy In A Rhyme" (4:05)
7. "Caramon's Poem" (4:58)
8. "The Highland" (5:41)
9. "Shadow Of The Beast" (6:05)
10. "March Through An Endless Rain" (2:08)