Montany - New Born Day


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Limb Music Products
Catalog Number: LMP 0202-038 CD
Format: CD
Total Time: 54:07:00

Four words: Kiske era Helloween clone.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have the colour or pulling power of a good Helloween clone like Heavenly or Edguy. Musically, they manage to keep their heads above water, but the water continues to get higher around them as the album moves on. Which is unfortunate because due to their varied metal history, from hard rock to thrash to power metal, Montany could have fashioned a new genre of metal music. As it stands, they manage to peddle something we've heard many times before. The twin guitars of Dirk Hoek and Albert Houwaart create a montage or flowing solos and solid chops and just by listening you know they've learnt well from their heroes. But their heroes were original, exciting, and skillful whilst these blokes are exciting and skillful only. Their thrash background is evident, but not overwhelming nor dominating, and it is the guitar work of New Born Day that makes the album almost worth purchasing.

New Born Day is chock full of clichés that don't help the band stand out from the overcrowded power metal market. A modicum of keyboards only heightens the lack of inspiration and originality, as they are included not to enhance the album, but to make it more than what it really is. Except it doesn't work. The CD has its day in the sun with tracks like "Here In The Light" and "Pyramid Of Cheops," but it's been done bigger and better by bands like Helloween and Edguy. "World Of Dreams (The Evermore)" begins as a simple ballad but then gallops into early Deris led Helloween melodies. I must admit it is quite refreshing to hear an album with no ballads - a surprise given the label that it came from. Tracks like "Higher And Higher" and "Back From The Sky" are killers, but they lack that significant something. And that something is ...

The vocals. After a while, the music may still excite, but the excitement leaves vocalist Patrick van Maurik behind. In fact, it's not his enthusiasm that is at fault - it's just he's not up to the task of belting out Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween) or Tobias Sammet (Edguy) like notes. Patrick has a clear high voice with some rough intonations. At times, he's good, but at other times, he's not good. I'll give him the votes though in creating worthwhile vocal melodies but he just can't seem to pull them off consistently. Montany's arrangements also lack a certain sophistication, but the playing is nice and solid, and with the help in production of one Uwe Lulis (g - Rebellion, ex-Grave Digger), the band develop a rather heavy, clean sound.

In summary, musically this is a talented release but it just fails to call itself great with some surmountable problems; namely in the vocal department and a lack of originality. Montany - better than Iron Fire but not as good Heavenly.

Similar To: Helloween, Heavenly, Iron Fire

[As of May 2004, the band called it quits and went their separate ways, their website is still active with sound clips ?ed.]

[This review originally appeared November 2003 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]


Tracklisting:
Out Of The Dark (0:37) / Back From The Sky (4:19) / New Born Day (6:03) / Here In The Light (4:48) / World Of Dreams (The Evermore) (4:51) / Higher And Higher (6:27) / Pyramid Of Cheops (6:27) / Sentenced (5:43) / Chains Of Glory (5:26) / Deep Water Rising (3:28) / End Of The Ride (5:58)

Musicians:
John Brederode - drums
Stefan Brederode - bass
Dirk Hoek - guitars
Albert Houwart - guitars
Patrick Van Maurik - vocals

Discography:
The Evermore (demo cd)
New Born Day (2002)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin NL

Added: January 17th 2005
Reviewer: Gary Carson
Score:
Artist website: www.montany.nl
Hits: 1847
Language: english

  

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