STILLIFE - Requiem CD
Self Released
Genre: Power Metal
Rating: 3/5
Great job guys with the total head fuck on the opening intro track. I'm hearing Gregorian chants along with what I though was my clock radio coming on surprisingly early plus I thought the christ police were outside my window about to crash through as if my place was the lair of a vampire. So I can definitely say that this Michigan band has a sense of humor. As far as their music goes they're card carrying members of the U.S. Power Metal club. I've been sent a lot of these types of band releases of late. Obviously some promoter has read my reviews where I castrate the Euro fairytale Power Metal contingent and now wants me to get my metal patriotism on. The irony is that it's kinda tough to wrap yourself in the U.S. Power Metal flag when the music is influenced by past NWOBHM greats. And speaking of fairytale quests, trying to find some info on this band was an exercise to boot. Sure I had their promo material write-up and their Myspace address but like some people I avoid Myspace (aka: Mydisgrace) like I avoid drama, men in white coats and women with cold sores. Getting back to the music at hand, Requiem is the full length debut by this Michigan four piece act who like to slip in and out of lapses of IRON MAIDEN and QUEENSRYCHE flirtations. I don't consider that to be a bad thing.
Now before you get up from your computer to see if the fat guy on VH-1's That Metal Show will have this as his "pick of the week" I'd like to point out a few things. First off this dink is a mix of good and I wanted to fall asleep during the progressive moments. Their take on Heavy Metal might be as original as the paint job on a Detroit cab but it could easily have them hailed as gods after they played a set at Wacken. I didn't read any statements in their promo material which referred to them being big in Germany but give em time. And if they can't do Wacken Open air then there's still the Up The Hammers Fest in Greece. OK my mistake since that already happened in March so they better stick with Wacken. They could open with "A Godless World" which gallops out at you with a not so subtle MAIDEN influence. There's nothing like watching 80,000 people banging their heads to your music. "12 Steps" is another MAIDEN influenced track which ends horribly on some air fart jazzy progressive note. That's my problem with some of this band's material. They devote too much time to the progressive jazz side of the spectrum. Pardon me but I left my ether cylinder in Europe. So many good metal bands have died because of that same flirtation. Big deal you read Guitar Player or Musician magazine in your spare time instead of Terrorizer. Cool for you dude but leave the magazine in the van before you come on stage to rock the fuckin house down.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/stilllifehome
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