Review: FURYON – “Gravitas”

Tracklist
1. Disappear Again 03:47
2. Stand Like Stone 03:47
3. Souvenirs 08:02
4. Don’t Follow 03:28
5. New Way of Living 06:19
6. Voodoo Me 03:39
7. Fear Alone 07:38
8. Wasted on You 05:48
9. Our Peace Someday 04:33
10. Desert Suicide 08:15

Release Date: 2012 – Frontiers Records / Rock’n Growl

Attention, the English come !! Furyon is a rockband from Brighton and they are told the band of the decade. Ok…we don’t want to push too hard now…the decade is still going a long time and who knows what else will happen next. But this band is sensationally good !.
They have already played in the legendary Concorde 2, which is apart from that a venue for top-class bands. That proofs the bands ability. Furyon play a mix of heavy metal, prog and classic rock…and this on very high level.

The album was produced by Rick Beato who also worked with bands like Shinedown or Fozzy before.

Line up:
Matt Mitchell – Vocals
Chris Green – Guitars
Pat Heath – Guitars
Alex “Nickel” Bowen – Bass
Lee Farmery – Drums

The first song „Disappear again“ directly catches your ears. A great song for a start and makes curious of what comes next. Matt Mitchell can be told as a brilliant shouter….hell yeah!. A voice that will not be forgotten soon and that shows that he is a real master of vocal works.
„Stand like stone“ follows with fantastic guitar riffs and changes in tempo that are sweeping.
A classic prog rock song we can find with „Souvenirs“, where you can hear out Dream Theater, but Furyon doesn’t have to hide behind that masters of progressive music. Smasher ! You have to shake your bones…if you want to or not.

And so it goes on…every song owns unbelievable quality, what else can I write. „New way of living“ is a very melodic song and in the first moments you think this will be a ballad…but it is none. I liked that much and maybe you can tell it the ladies song, ha ha.
Chris Green and Pat Heath are first class guitar players that blow other through the walls. Never heard something good like that for a long time.
Stuff for headbangers, „Voodoo me“ is the right song to let your hairs fly.
The song „Fear alone“ instead remembers a little to Led Zeppelin or Arjen Lucassen. Not easy where to begin and where to end.

Furyon created a furious album…a must have for real rockmusic lovers ! It fascinates from the first second. Every musician knows how to play his instrument effective. This album contain much of passion and hearts.
The question is: Why is this band that good and nobody knows them ?

Everyone who likes rock music, progressiv music and the masters of the old times will love that album. Ok..you can hear the influences of Led Zeppelin, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater and others but this is the mixture that works. And we can count Matt Mitchell to the best rock voices today. This alone is worth listening. The album made it to my players and is in rotation all day all night.
Special things that I appreciate is, that the songs doesn’t have the usual radio lenghts…good music takes it’s time.

Album highlights:
Disappear Again
Sourvenirs
Fear Alone

….in the main all song. Also the both acoustic versions of „Souvenirs“ and „Voodoo me“ are much listenable.
I have to wish the band all the luck they need to reach the throne of rock…cause that’s the place they belong to. I am curious about live gigs and hopefully they find their way over to germany.

Points: 9,5 / 10

Review by Angel

Upcoming Release: ANGEL WITCH -“As Above, So Below”

Tracklist:
01. Dead Sea Scrolls
02. Into The Dark
03. Gebura
04. The Horla
05. Witching Hour
06. Upon This Cord
07. Guillotine
08. Brainwashed

Release Date: 16.03.2012 – Nuclear Blast

A triumphant return to the classic NWOBHM style of heavy metal that ANGEL WITCH are most respected and acknowledged for.

Review: NEVERWORLD – “Welcome to…Neverworld”

Tracklist:
1. They Live
2. In the Heart of Chaos
3. This Fire

Release date: 2010 – DreamDemon Recordings

It is definetely not easy to write a review about a band that you didn’t know before and where you didn’ get a lot of information about. Here we have a band called Neverworld and what we find here is the band’s firts statement with a 3-track-EP published in 2010. This EP is called „Welcome to…“ and I like it if a band first publish an EP to find out how the world reacts on the music. Better than to release a full length first where you find some acceptable tracks and lots of fillers.
This is the better way I think and if it is packed in a nice cover artwork like this one it wakes your interest in listening to the bands music.
Neverworld is a progmetal band from the UK with classic heavy metal vibes. This is what the website says and their influences lie in the classic bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, King Diamond and so on. So the ladder is high…time to climb it.

And so it starts with „They Live“….yes, why not ? A short introduction says something like „kick ass“ and yes so it is like this song starts. Great traditional riffing together with heavy played keyboards. The voice of Ben Colton is a combination of clear sound and high screams. The keys underline the prog factor, but the riffs and vocals are deep rooted in classic heavy metal style. Uptempo rules here. This song contains all you need for a real metal dose. The guitar work of Jack Foster is amazing. Sometimes it remembers me to Saxon in their best times. Shredding parts, breaking solos. Some hammonds in the back. Cool song, perfect start ! Only the drums could have a bit more of punch. Michael Vaughan knows how to push the song and the band should put his play more in front in the future. Anyway….well done job !

„Into the Heart of Chaos“ begins with speed. And…yes…it sounds a little chaotic if you listen to the weird keys here. Rhapsody on Fire on speed I would say. Aggressive vocals round it up. For my opinion the band used too much technical samples here and let the song sound a little clinic. A disharmonic shred orgy with style. This song is the soundtrack for a whirlwind losing control. Massive wall of guitar/keyboard sound. I think the band wanted to show here what they can do with their instruments. And it reflects the song’s title.

Piano opens „This Fire“. With it’s 7 minutes the longest track and the one that ends this EP. Warm sound as the background keys appear. James Thackway seems to be a great percussionist like the perfectionists in the big prog metal bands. Colton’s clean vocals between deeper and higher sequences is a mirror of 80’s classic metal bands. The song varies with speed and slower parts. Always in alliance with keys in the back. Some screams…I like them…brings the song to a really heavy one. The guitars played like wizards. Excellent musicians on their way to proof outstanding qualities for the future. Even some Iron Maiden is shining through in the guitar and vocal work.
The lots of breaks are telling us that we have to do it here with an epic and a wonderful guitar solo fades it out.

I am impressed about the technical qualities the band owns with their first release. I actually don’t know if or where the bandmembers played before. But they know their job excellent and the songs are far away of being copies of the originals. Neverworld made it to bring their own sound into a music style that is surely not new but where you can spread fresh elements on it. And that is Neverworld’s goal. A little improvement in songwriting and then we can talk about the next big thing in ambitioning metal.

All three songs can assure without exception and as I said in the beginning of this review: It was the best thing Neverworld could do publish an EP first. That’s where we can find out the bands quality and musically deal. And so we are not bored by any filler tracks.
For that I cannot wait holding the first full length album of Neverworld right here in my hands.

Great work, guys !!

Points: 8,5/10

Review by Kerbinator

FURYON sign management deal with Rock N Growl!

UK’s best new metal band “FURYON“, feat. vocalist Matt Mitchell, guitarist Chris Green, guitarist Pat Heath, bass guitarist Alex “Nickel” Bowen and drummer Lee Farmery have signed a management deal with Germany’s “ROCK N GROWL“!

ROCK N GROWL & FURYON are currently shopping the recording “GRAVITAS” produced by Rick Beato (Shinedown, Fozzy), securing a record deal very soon, with the insight of taking their music to the masses. See you out there!

Imagine the darkness of Alice In Chains, uplifting anthems of Alter Bridge and classic swagger of Iron Whitesnake in the mix and you have a helping of Furyon’s sonic feast. (musicradar)

Furyon “Disappear Again” video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8biW3IBqx8

“Gravitas” is a stunning debut album. From start to finish the intensity is relentless, leaving you both gasping for breath and asking for more! If you love your metal full of catchy riffs, powerful vocals and guitar solos that are a match for anyone out there, then “Gravitas” is a must buy for you! (thisisnotascene)

The songs appear on the “GRAVITAS” album are the following:

1. Disappear Again, 2. Stand Like Stone, 3. Souvenirs, 4. Don’t Follow, 5. New Way of Living, 6. Voodoo Me, 7. Fear Alone, 8. Wasted on You, 9. Our Peace Someday, 10. Desert Suicide

Buy it directly from the band: http://furyon.bigcartel.com

This is a 10 Track Monster of a record. Featuring special artwork by Brighton illustrator Traumatron, and featuring a special motion Comic based on the Furyon Knight character.

Check:
www.furyon.net

Review: SHY – “Shy”

Tracklist
1. Land of a Thousand Lies
2. So Many Tears
3. Ran out of Time
4. Breathe
5. Blood on the Line
6. Pray
7. Only for the Night
8. Live for me
9. Over You
10. Sanctuary
11. Save Me
12. Union Of souls

release date: October 2011 – Escape Music

Shy is a band from Birmingham and maybe someone of you still know them. I didn’t know them so far. They were in the 80’s, when AOR was big, partly famous. But, like ever, only a few can make it to get really famous…and it doesn’t matter how good the bands are. Also Shy have signed a lot of changes in the past, as many other bands of that time too.
I don’t know how to name this self titled album, cause it is their tenth (I think) in history. Is it a new debut or is it a comeback album ? Anyway…the band made it to release a very good one now.
So with this I ask myself why people didn’t notice the band more earlier.

The actual line up is as follows:

Lee Small (Vocals)
Steve Harris (Lead & Rhythm Guitars)
Roy Davis (Bass)
Joe Basketts (Keyboards)
Bob Richards (Drums)

The opener „And of a thousand lies“ is a real good one. It has all a song needs for you to listen to the complete album wiht joy. Classic, keyboard orientated and a first class Steve Harris, who does’t have to hide behind anyone. In all the album is worked out pretty wonderful and I cannot understand why the band couldn’t reach the rock throne in the 80’s. Also „Ran out of time“ is a nice song with a great refrain. You don’t feel anytime listening to the same thing. The album is varied and never boring and I liked it from the first moment.
„Breath“ is a wonderful power ballad that makes you dream. I ever and ever have to say that rockers do the best ballads. You can’t get enough from this song and especially the ladies will love it. I would like to see the band to realize a video of that song (only a suggestion, guys !).
And then….“Blood on the line“. The best song of the album and it really knocked me out. A cracker itself. Escpecially if you listen to it…LOUD. Well, rock has to be heard loud, but this song is it’s reference. Another highlight is „Live for me“. But cause of the upper class of this album it is difficult to accent single songs to the rest.

People who like AOR and bombastic rock in the line of Journey, Europe and even REO Speedwagon do a right choice with this album. This comeback album completely assured me. It hopefully will find many fans and it definetely shouldn’ be missed in your cd rack. By the way…the album doesn’t breathe the smell and dust of the 80’s. It owns modern playes sounds as it has to be played today. Lee Small’s voice proofs experience and has a big recognition value. Perfect work !
You hear that the guys had fun recording this album and that they really know how to play.
Looking forward to see them live !!

Points: 8/10

Review by Angel