Sons of Seasons - Magnisphyricon (2011)

'Supergroup' styled bands don't always have a tendency to work out in the long run. Very often, some of the guest stars will simply dabble and then return to their primary institutions, leaving the lesser known members to replace them or simply hang the project out to dry. So I was a little surprised that Sons of Seasons, known for fusing the talents of Henning Basse, Oliver Palotai, and others not only held itself together for some European touring, but managed to upstage themselves with a superior follow-up to 2009's Gods of Vermin. Magnisphyricon (I haven't the foggiest idea) is ultimately just a good progressive metal effort, hoarding Basse's mighty range within the walls of restraint, and incorporating bold symphonic elements as well as harder, thrashing rhythms when it suits them.

From the description I had read in advance, I expected something truly bizarre here, but it plays out more like a mesh of Helloween, Rhapsody, and perhaps Labyrinth. Songs like "Soul Symmetry" and "Into the Void" are leveled with potent grooves that contrast the buzzing key pads or the more epic, symphonic sweeps ala The Dark Ride. They'll also use whispers, female backing vocals (Simone of Epica), and worldly music influence (the intro to "Nightbird's Gospel") to create a truly 'international' balance over the substantial duration of the sophomore, which is nearly 70 minutes long with 14 tracks. Occasionally, the lower end guitar chugs will feel pretty vacant in creativity, but they're used largely as an accent to the bass player, and the real focus is what's happening above them. There's a vibration here of fey-like dalliance which is manifest through the subtler, pretty keys, female vocals and so forth, but then you've got elements like the crushing verse rhythm in "Lilith" which leaves an almost Morgana LeFay level of bruising.

Basse reminds me a lot of Andi Deris with this one, he just uses that same, satin range of seductive elegance, and rarely transforms into the screaming banshee we remember from Metalium's finer hours. But I found his performance here the most impressive. The other musicians are quite talented, but for all the variation and obvious effort, I was not able to pluck out a good many distinctive riffs from the mesh, nor symphonic sequences outside of the more obvious like the bold intro "Magnisphyricon: Temperance". You've got the powerful, pristine studio sound here that you'd expect of such veterans or really any signed, modern band in the style, but there's a slightly pervasive cheese cast over the otherwise intelligent content. Despite the promotional claims to the contrary, I honestly found Magnisphyricon to be a more modern, traditional progressive/power album than the debut, but where it might have sacrificed some of the Gods of Vermin's unique characteristics, it slightly inches past in its overall quality.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

http://www.myspace.com/sonsofseasons

Sons of Seasons - Gods of Vermin (2009)

Sons of Seasons is a new project formed by keyboardist Oliver Palotai (Kamelot, Circle II Circle, Blaze, etc) with an emphasis on a darker side to power-prog. If ever there were a truly 'gothic' flavor to progressive metal, it would sound a lot like this. The song structures are familiar, with lots of excellent keyboard playing, and a constant interplay between metallic grooves and softer prog rock tones. The result isn't the most memorable, but he's assembled a good lineup and there are some flashes of brilliance in a few tracks.

Metalium's air raid siren Henning Basse handles the vocal tracks, and he does so with a grittier edge than normal. There are still the hints of his crystalline delivery which he subtly supplants throughout the material, but for the most part he remains in a lower register that better suits the concept. Silent Force bassist Jürgen Steinmetz and former Blaze skin-beater Daniel Schild flesh out the lineup, and together they wander across a dozen tracks of introspective, melodic and razor edged metal. There is a lot of piano here, but Palotai excels at atmosphere and the intro "The Place Where I Hide" sets the tone for the entirety of the album. The title track "Gods of Vermin" runs the gamut of material from the heavier verse riffs to the quiet breakdowns and a big chorus where Basse busts out the mid-ranged pipes. I found some of the better tracks on the album to be its most ferocious, like the blazing "Belial's Tower" or "Dead Man's Shadow", but the band can incorporate balladry or epic, slower moving numbers such as "Third Moon Rising" to great effect, and the album balances its delivery enough from track to track that one never becomes bored. There is an occasional use of vocal layering or female vocals which present themselves nicely. The themes of the songs fall on historical subjects or the madness of men and civilization.

I don't have many complaints. The album simmers in a top notch professional mix, though the guitars could use a little more crunch to liven things up (keeping in mind that Palotai is not foremost a guitar player). Certain tracks are a lot catchier than others, but the album is consistent to its theme, you feel this almost insane asylum aesthetic throughout which recalls Savatage, Circle II Circle, Evergrey and other brooding conceptual prog/metal bands. Sons of Seasons are pretty original, this should work in their favor if they continue this project. Gods of Vermin may not be a masterpiece debut, but it wears its effort and talent on its sleeve. If you're seeking out some new prog metal and favor the sounds of any band I listed in this review, give it a listen.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.sonsofseasons.com/