Kenziner - The Prophecies (1999)

Lighting certainly can strike twice, and in the same place, at least in Finland, where a promising young guitar guru was busy piecing together the sophomore effort of his band Kenziner, which would see increased distribution in a joint maneuver through David Chastain's Leviathan Records and Limb Music in Europe. This time out, Jarno Keskinen has expanded the lineup to a four piece, with Mikko Harkin of Sonata Arctica, Kotipelto and numerous other bands joining here on the keyboards, and Dennis Lesh replaced by cult US drummer Brian Harris of Firewind, Vainglory, Zanister and Darkology. Their presence is clearly felt alongside the budding guitarist and the practiced vocals of Stephen Fredrick, especially as the band can now incorporate Harkin's keyboard shredding alongside Keskinen's solo drills.

Lightning twice over. The Prophecies hits like a storm, a darker and more forceful album than Timescape. The compositions are comparable, but just about everything is turned up a notch, and after teasing you with the piano intro and a faint few seconds of Survivor-like caution, the band erupts into a surge of steadily expanding thunder, "Live Forever", hauling ass across a darkened sky that makes the debut seem...innocent by comparison. Lyrically, the album practices the same generic tropes as the first, well enough written with in the stock 'inspirational' category but rarely evoking a memorable, distinct image. However, you will find yourself very short on concern for this as you hear Keskinen and Harkin dueling off in the bridge, kicking your backside up and down the plateau'd pyramids that adorn the cover art.

"The Razor's Edge" goes in for a little more grace fused to its speed, fragile if potent, scale based fills fleshing out the atmospheric momentum built by Fredrick, Harkin and Harris. "Through the Fire" is another favorite here, slower but sure footed as it steps into serious mode, and "Trail of Tears" fashions an even more steady crawl through its grandiose sense of mystique. Other tracks of note include the shred-off neo-classical instrumental "Dimensions", Fredrick's vocal performance on "Lost in a Fantasy", and of course the closing, 10+ minute epic title track which rises and plummets through nearly the whole range of the album leading up to it. One more I'd point out would be "Eternity", which carefully scales forward with clean picking and vibrant bass lines to another burst of classical infused amusement.

Like Timescape before it, The Prophecies is not much more than a well executed collaboration that rather safely prances about the sanctity of the power/progressive collision used by so many acts from both sides of the Atlantic. This is certainly the better of their two efforts, and sadly the last, as Keskinen would turn his attentions to the separate but similar Virtuocity, who you might also wish to explore if you enjoy Kenziner. It's unlikely to hold much value for anyone beyond the niche core of shred or classical guitar fetishists or ProgPower 'bangers, but it upstages its predecessor and still evokes a level of excitement that betrays the decade plus of dust gathered upon its ascent.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (tell me once, tell me again)

http://www.leviathanrecords.com/kenziner1.htm

Kenziner - Timescape (1998)

Kenziner was a fairly interesting collaboration between a number of musicians on the progressive/shred scene that have all sadly gone neglected for various periods, each of which is far too long when you consider the amount of talent they bring to a recording. Founder and brainchild Jarno Keskinen (also of Virtuocity) is joined by drummer Dennish Lesh (Trouble, Stygian, Chastain) and the vocals of Stephen Fredrick (ex-Firewind, Spike, etc). Of course, the David T. Chastain connections don't end there, because the underrated US guitar god is also responsible for some of the lyrics and melodies found on this record, and he gave it a home on his Leviathan Records imprint, through which he released most of the classic, excellent Chastain records, among others.

David is not only a grand guitarist himself in both the instrumental and traditional metal fields, but he's also got quite an ear for picking out fresh potential among the myriad demo wielding hopefuls out there stalking the back isles of Guitar Centers or skulking in their home studios, and Keskinen is quite impressive here, taking center stage even among his worthy counterparts. His expertise is to craft the architecture of shred into some pretty stock progressive/power metal. It often manifests in a similar fashion to his well known countrymen Stratovarius, despite the huskier presence of Fredrick which is far more Coverdale, Lande or Gillan than Kotipelto. But there is no firm restriction here to playing predictably plotted, shred-heavy metal composition a la Yngwie J. Malmsteen, so the band will often veer off into other influences, like the morose balladry of "In the Silence" or the intro to "Dreamer" which remind me heavily of late 80s/early 90s Fates Warning, Fredrick exploring his upper register in a manner not unlike a Ray Alder.

There are also various 'jamming' sections found in tracks, like the bridge of "Seasons" around 5:30 which summon up comparisons to Dream Theater and flock, generally well enough executed so as not to interrupt the interplay of vocals, guitars and synthesizers, the last also performed here by Keskinen with all the subtlety of a Janne Warman or Jens Johansson, but little of the actual key shredding. But the centerpiece is almost always Keskinen's ability to fuse bland rhythms and melodies with more interesting fills and leads than your stock Euro power metal troupe, as you'll hear in "Future Signs", classically inspired "Timescape", bluesy "Walking in the Rain" and among the brooding twists and turns of "Thru the End".

Lesh and Fredrick are merely icing on the cake, with the former's steady time keeping perfect pace with the young Finnish upstart, and Fredrick completing the puzzle with the final piece it requires, a soaring and slight emotional inclination backed with the measured power of a veteran. This guy can sing the balls off lesser men, and if you've ever wished to hear a fusion of Stratovarius and Deep Purple, you've found it. Timescape is hardly an outstanding album through the entire playtime, but it succeeds with a taut, professional grace that was seemingly years beyond its creator. Unfortunately, this power/progressive realm is not one commonly explored by the oozeling masses of extreme metal hangers-on, metalcore mall-clingers or retro nubs, but anyone who appreciates a helping of Stratovarius, later Angel Dust, At Vance, Evergrey, Kamelot or Yngwie Malmsteen might find a warm welcome here that they would not regret.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10] (and the curtains are drawn)

http://www.leviathanrecords.com/kenziner1.htm