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Rating: It is a true pleasure to discover that the CD purchased blindly and purely by chance in a used record store turns out to be a small masterpiece, capable of surprising and moving. "To Travel For Evermore" by the Danish Wuthering Heights is the second piece of a trilogy that can be considered a concept in its entirety; the theme addressed is that of a journey, understood as the journey of a man through life (the man, incidentally, is Eric Ravn, the band's leader, who described the whole work as very autobiographical).
Released in 2002, this technical and experimental album has pleasantly surprised me for various aspects, first among them the difficulty of placing it in a precise musical context: it is reductive to define it as progressive-symphonic, within it you can recognize styles and sounds ranging from the eighties to today. We find orchestral pieces, tracks with a medieval and epic flavor, folk nuances, and a good dose of power. These mutable atmospheres are seasoned (skillfully) with solos and arpeggios with a neoclassical flavor (in the Malmsteen style of the good times, to be clear), with excellent drumming that is appreciated also and especially for the use of odd times, and choruses, in full eighties style.
The album is a pleasure to listen to, and the tracks (although all of a certain length) fly by: I could mention “The Nevershining Stones” a small power gem enriched by excellent tempo changes, “Lost Realms” a great ballad with a neoclassical intro and intertwining choirs; the small suite “A Sinner’s Confession”, divided into three chapters, where the progressive component is more pronounced, and the sweet acoustic “River Oblivion”, which closes the album fading into a warm melody recalling the piece's title.
Noteworthy is also the presence of the Italian Lorenzo Deho on bass, from Time Machine (but he only appears as a guest star).
The album's only flaw: the guitars, although protagonists, in my opinion, are not recorded to perfection, and this is a real shame as a work of this level would have deserved a bit more attention during the recording phase.
In conclusion, it is a very interesting album that breaks away from the usual musical stereotypes, venturing track by track into different sounds, accompanying the listener on a journey that (I believe) will leave them pleasantly surprised.
Tracklist
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By Hellring
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