Lanfear - Zero Poems


Year of Release: 1999
Label: Famous Kitchen
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 51:49:00

German band Lanfear is now out with their new album Zero Poems which is the follow-up to the debut Towers. I've been living with this CD for a while now and it's no denial, this is one of my most played albums lately, and with good reason.

Lanfear offers a truly unique, interesting and original sound. The basis of Lanfear's music is a mix of symphonic, atmospheric and dramatic melodic metal and prog metal, blended with a broad variety of musical elements and influences of bands from the 70s, 80s, till the bands of the 90s. Their sound is huge and bombastic, and always melodic. The mid-ranged vocals of Stefan Zoerner is good and varied changing from aggressive and black metal vox, to spoken passages and clean vox which is most used. The classy guitars offer some catchy and crunchy hook-lines and the glorious keys add an extra atmosphere and dimension to the songs, being very involved in the music. The keyboard can at one minute be absent for in the next to be almost everywhere. The music is extremely hard to pigeonhole and I won`t even try to list elements and influences as it's a battle I would loose for sure, but I if I sum it up, I guess this CD defines the word progressive.

The songs are intricate with lots of strange song structures and in some odd way, maybe due to the melodic approach, and the music is still accessible and easy to like. Their sound is truly innovative and as each song is different from the next, they keep your interest throughout the CD. The production by Andy Horn is superb, coming off full, clear and crisp. Every instrument is present and I have no problem hearing the vocalist's words. Maybe the drums are a bit back in the mix, but this is only a minor detail, which is hardly noticeable. To me, the production seems close to being perfect. Lanfear offer some truly innovative music, and if you are looking for something different, this might just be the answer. Although this is not for everyone, I think most fans of prog metal will enjoy this one. I won't say that this CD is perfect, but having in mind the songwriting and lyrics, the production and packing, the composing and arrangements, the unique sound and original melodies, this CD deserve the highest grade.

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


Tracklisting:
Zero Poems (5:26) / Turn The Tide (5:35) / Eight Silent Chambers (7:39) / Epilogue:June, 2054 A.D. (1:10) / How Come ? (9:35) / My Karma Told Me (4:01) / To Sear The Flood (2:08) / Enlil/Genesis (3:41) / Naked (4:02) / Twilight (3:53) / Electric Storm, 2053 A.D. (4:31)

Musicians:
Stefan Zoerner - vocal and keyboards
Jurgen Schrank - drums
Markus Ullrich - guitars
Kai Schindelar - bass

Discography:
Towers (1996) (released as Towers of February (1997))
Zero Poems (1999)
The Art Effect (2003)
Another Golden Age (2005)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin DE

Added: February 8th 2005
Reviewer: Bjørnar Bevolden
Score:
Artist website: www.lanfear.eu
Hits: 2527
Language: english

  

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