TellTaleHard - Spiral Stairs

Year of Release: 2000
Label: Independent
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 30:46:00

Formed back in 1993, this German 5-piece, released their second demo, Spiral Stairs, in April 1999, following the 4-track demo Signs Of Warning released in 1997. The band has certainly started to grow a name as I see comments about them on the web from time to time, and the comments are exclusively positive.

Telltalehard are a highly interesting acquaintance. On this 5-track demo/promo they offer an intelligent and innovative mix of various musical styles. To me, they come across as mixing melodic metal with prog metal or perhaps technical melodic metal is more correct, although their music is so much more than that. If you listen carefully, you'll find a broad variety of influences. You can hear traces of 80's melodic metal, prog metal, neo prog, AOR, flamenco, and symphonic. Besides the obvious fact that these guys are really competent musicians, they sure know how to write catchy, melodic, original and well crafted songs, which grow on you for each spin. The songs tend to have mixed parts of catchy guitar dominated verses as well as more acoustic and clean guitar-based verses, brilliantly intervened with odd rhythms and tempo changes and glittering solos with tons of melody. The vocal-lines and choruses are awesome and the band has a scent for creating various atmospheres. The vocalist is perhaps somewhere between mid and high-ranged. He has a smooth, pleasant voice, with little or no noticeable accent.

For a demo, the production is good and the songwriting and arrangements are top notch. There is no point in drawing comparisons as Telltalehard clearly have their own identity and expression, and besides, I could not find any comparisons, which really is a big plus. If you are a fan of melodic metal and prog metal you can safely buy this CD. All 5 songs are of top quality and I can see no reason not to check this band out.

I hope to see this band getting signed soon as I feel they have a lot to offer. Their future is bright.

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

Tracklisting:
Spiral Stairs (5:56) / Tip The Scale (4:46) / Beacon Light (5:50) / A Living Page Of Mystory (6:43) / Cynical Hope (7:29)

Musicians:
Marc Laukel - vocals
Matthias Koch-Schirrmeister - guitars
Frank Becker - bass
Thomas Türling - guitars, vocals
Jens Feldermann - drums

Discography:
Signs Of Warning (1997)
Spiral Stairs (1999/2000)

Genre: Melodic Metal

Origin DE

Added: March 29th 2005
Reviewer: Bjørnar Bevolden
Score:
Artist website:
Hits: 2978
Language: english