Stonehenge - Angelo Salutante


Year of Release: 2001
Label: Nail Records
Catalog Number: NailCD 006
Format: CD
Total Time: 61:20:00

A Hungarian band that plays prog metal is not exactly an everyday happening, and when this band turns out to be one of the best new international progressive metal bands this year, you better pay attention! Although I became acquainted with another Hungarian prog band, Nemesis, last year, which was another nice surprise, I feel that this band is superior and actually have everything it takes to break into the international scene. The band was originally formed back in '92 and released an EP in '98, but it is not until 2001 that the band finally released their debut album. And what an album it is!

Their combination of intriguing and accessible melody lines, appropriate complexity, crunchy guitars, spacey keyboards and a brilliant mid-ranged vocalist is simply irresistible. Seems the band sparkle with good ideas. They have found the perfect balance between heaviness, melody, and complexity and evocative atmosphere. The combination of voice samples and piano-like keyboards in some songs is also very effectual. This is a band that has perfected their own sound to the utmost and it is hard to find any comparisons. All I can say is that if you like bands like Dali's Dilemma, Symphony X, Pain of Salvation, Dream Theater, and Andromeda then this band is right up your alley. The utterly skilled rhythm section is as tight as it can get and the production is crystal clear.

Every single song on this CD is followed by another highlight and when I sit here thinking, I can't really recall the last time I heard another prog band with such an even number of quality songs on one CD. And here comes the good part, they only get better with each spin. It took a few spins to fully appreciate the material offered, but now that I do, I can truly enjoy the beauty of this disc. And it is such fun to discover new elements and details each time I hear it.

Well, I know I have been bragging on and on about this disc, but I feel it is in its place to do so when a band of this calibre comes along. Stonehenge is my newcomer in the prog metal genre this year and the scene desperately needs this fresh sounding band. My compliments to the band for all the work it must have taken to complete and perfect these songs. The final product is overwhelming and hopefully the band will get the help they need to get their music out to the masses. Buy or die!

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]


Tracklisting:
Invocation (1:29) / Newcomer (7:37) / For Another (4:48) / Wendigo (6:51) / Angelo Salutante (2:13) / Angels (5:01) / Full Moon (5:26) / Whisper (3:42) / Between Two Worlds (6:09) / Rambling (7:20) / Fly (6:48) / Yellow (3:55)

Musicians:
Bal?zs B?ta - guitars
Zolt?n B?tky - vocals, samples ?;d?m Baki - keyboards
Krist?f Szab? - drums
Bertalan Temesi - bass

Discography:
Angelo Salutante (2001)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin HU

Added: February 20th 2005
Reviewer: Bjørnar Bevolden
Score:
Hits: 2140
Language: english

  

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