Redemption
Snowfall On Judgement Day

REDEMPTION

"Snowfall On Judgement Day" (2009)

Record label: EMI

Genre: progressive-metal

Strangely, no one has yet attempted to review a work by this American group that has already produced a very interesting four-album studio collection for progressive metal lovers...

Take the technical skill of Dream Theater or Symphony X, add the experience of Fates Warning and a good dose of poignant melancholy: the result is the sound of Redemption, which certainly does not shine for excessive originality but gives us those emotions that their illustrious fellow countrymen mentioned above no longer seem capable of providing.

Their latest work, "Snowfall On Judgement Day," does not disappoint expectations: from the first very "rocky" tracks, to songs with a poignant mood like "Black & White World" and "Keep Breathing", dedicated to the young daughter of the guitarist and leader of the group, Nick Van Dyk, suffering from a degenerative retinal disease, Redemption churns out riffs rich in both technique and pathos.

In this regard, the long final track is exemplary, where the emotional pattern reaches extremely high levels in the last minutes: I do not hide from you that I barely held back my tears, listening to it again after hearing about the serious illness that struck the very unfortunate Van Dyk, which puts a big question mark on the future of this formidable band.

Worth noting is the presence of Dream Theater's vocalist, J. LaBrie, in a track, however, not exciting; on the other hand, the experienced Ray Alder with his particular vocal setup, based more on half tones than on great range, helps give the right melancholic intonation even to the more driven tracks.

Overall, a high-quality work that requires a bit of patience in assimilation but rewards the listener over time.

GOOD LUCK NICK!

YoS - 11/12/2009