Atmosfear - Inside The Atmosphere

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Gecko Records
Catalog Number: Gecko 1012
Format: CD
Total Time: 75:50:00

It's been about six years since Atmosfear released their 3-song EP called Atmosfear. The EP caused quite the stir among those who were fortunate to have scored a copy of the rare CD (which is now once again available from the band's website). Most people who talked about the disc usually mentioned Dream Theater or Vanden Plas in their descriptions, and I would certainly agree with that.

With the release of their long-awaited CD Inside The Atmosphere, the band continues their Dream Theater and Vanden Plas influences, but adds a touch of their own identity with doses of modern metal. And even some jazzy interludes along the way, including a cover of The Beatles' ?Eleanor Rigby." Atmosfear has kept up the faith by continuing on with the melodic prog metal style they started with, and here they don't disappoint a bit. Crunching guitar work dominates the overall sound, with high doses of progressive moments surrounding each and every tune. Powerful drumming combined with convincing mid-range vocals and melodic keyboards dominate most of the songs, which turn from highly progressive, to speedy, to melodic anthems at the drop of a dime. There are plenty of progressive moments for the most avid fan, and enough metallic crunch to keep the metal fans happy, and a melodic side that will keep fans of Vanden Plas and Tomorrow's Eve happy as well. The added cover tune of ?Eleanor Rigby? I could have done without, and I would have preferred another Atmosfear tune, but Beatles fans and those who don't mind a cover tune thrown into their progressive metal stew will like the way Atmosfear puts their musical touches on an old classic.

Oliver Wulff delivers yet another powerful performance, this time bringing out a more aggressive tone than on the debut, and reminds me at times of a modern-day alternative style singer, far from the stereo-typical high pitched singers that dominate the genre. His aggressive, mid-ranged tone brings the songs a jagged edge, while the constant bombardment of warm melodies and progressive elements bring the music a softer edge giving the listener plenty to dissect and enjoy.

The production is solid. Most notably is the clear and concise vocal production, in which it is possible to discern most of Wulff's vocals, and he performs without a hint of an accent. Drums, keyboards, and bass are all thrown into the mix nicely, with an emphasis on the guitar crunch. My only complaint with the sound is that occasionally, the bass will produce distortion on certain systems when played at loud levels. This does not happen on all songs, but it certainly is noticeable on smaller systems that will not be merciful on bass output. I'm not actually sure if the bass guitar is causing the distortion, or the kick drum, but there is no mistaking the distortion during certain passages of certain songs. Aside from that artifact, which can get quite annoying at times, the rest of the production is solid and clean.

Atmosfear has once again proved that melodic progressive metal is alive and well, and can still be fun while being complex at the same time. The band has certainly matured since the EP days of 1997, and their performance here shows that the band is continuing to hone their skills, and that success and a monster disc are in the future for certain. Fans of melodic progressive metal will love what Atmosfear has to offer, and I only hope that six years do not pass by until we are treated to another disc.

Tracklisting:
Inside The Atmosfear (9:18) / Circumstance (6:09) / A Cry Of Dismay (7:18) / Mysterious (6:25) / Feardrops (6:24) / Patience (7:39) / Thinking Progressive (6:59) / Eleanor Rigby / Zephaniah (12:02) / There Is Love At The End (4:02)

Musicians:
Oliver Wulff ? vocals
Boris Stepanow ? guitars
Stephan Kruse ? keyboards
Burkhart Heberle ? bass
Olaf Sorgenfrei ? drums

Discography:
Atmosfear (1997)
Into The Atmosphere (2003)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin DE

Added: November 2nd 2003
Reviewer: Larry "LarryD" Daglieri

Artist website: www.atmosfear.net
Hits: 2070
Language: english