RUSSELL ALLEN / JORN LANDE


"The Battle" (Frontiers; 2005)

Reviewed by Jeff Rogers

I do not recommend driving while listening to this disc. You will either be playing the steering wheel as a guitar or the dashboard as a keyboard. Also, do not use the brake and gas as double bass drum pedals, please. This stuff is classic heavy metal and progressive music. It?s got the guitar, drums and killer vocals to make you wonder where this stuff went because it hasn?t been heard in a while.

Russell Allen is the singer for Symphony X. Jorn Lande is the singer for Masterplan. These guys have pipes that complement each other's abilities. It?s a trade off between the two. We?ve experienced bands with dual guitars, bands with two drummers so why not two lead singers who don?t battle each other but elevate each other's talents?

The guitar is vicious! The solos will have you rubbing your forehead and then pulling your face down because your skin will have shifted due to the Richter scale rating. The guitar has pinches, solos, and some nasty rhythms; ooooh, it still resonates long after it?s over. The drums will vibrate the floor and move your furniture around.

The heavy metal of yesteryear always had that theatrical element and I?m pleased to say that it?s the eye of this storm too. My buddy Marty gave me this CD and told me to just listen. I listened, and then I absorbed it, now I?m permeating in it. Fans of metal will no doubt need to add this to their collection.

Performing on "The Battle" are: Russell Allen ? vocals; Jorn Lande ? vocals; Magnus Karlsson ? guitars.
For more information, check out http://www.symphonyx.com or http://www.jornlande.com


Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

 


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