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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Apocrypha - The Forgotten Scroll (Jap. Ed.) + │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Feb-04-2012 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........1990 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........09 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Apocrypha Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : The Forgotten Scroll (Jap. Ed.)abel : Roadrunner ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ This first release from Fredianelli's early ║ │
│║ project is a decent one to track down, if only ║ │
│║ for the promise it showed in the budding career ║ │
│║ of Tony as a guitar player and songwriter. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ At the time Fredianelli had only been playing a ║ │
│║ few short years, and was noticed by Mike Varney, ║ │
│║ of Shrapnel Records. The Forgotten Scroll is the ║ │
│║ result of this first collaboration, rounded out ║ │
│║ with a cast of musicians who would perform well, ║ │
│║ though one immediately realizes that all is ║ │
│║ given to support the guitar shred here, rather ║ │
│║ than each part of the whole standing out. ║ │
│║ Written completely by the guitar whiz kid ║ │
│║ himself, at the time this must have seemed like ║ │
│║ a great start, and indeed it is, although the ║ │
│║ inexperience does show. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The CD starts out menacingly enough, with the ║ │
│║ power vocals of Steve Plocica growling over a ║ │
│║ chord hammer-plod, giving way to Fredianelli's ║ │
│║ quick-picking rhythms in Penance (Keep the ║ │
│║ Faith). As is the case throughout, the songs ║ │
│║ serve to support Tony's freakish shredding, ║ │
│║ sometimes even to the point where the rhythm ║ │
│║ section will drop out (or at least into the ║ │
│║ background), giving way to sweep-picking ║ │
│║ arpeggios or ultra fast scalar runs up and down ║ │
│║ the fretboard. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In short, it's shred. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ What I do find memorable is the fact that there ║ │
│║ is some leeway given to the songwriting, with ║ │
│║ some decent vocal lines, delivered competently - ║ │
│║ if a little less than memorably - by Steve ║ │
│║ Plocica. Some songs stick out to me, such as the ║ │
│║ soaring Lost Children of Hope with its power ║ │
│║ chorus and alternating low register verses with ║ │
│║ high register screaming at the end of the ║ │
│║ chorus. There is some nice melody here, though ║ │
│║ the riffage underneath is fairly generic. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The instrumental Tablet of Destiny serves as a ║ │
│║ valiant bow to the Shrapnel fare of the day, ║ │
│║ with appropiate eye-popping arpeggio work, time ║ │
│║ signature changes, and ultra tight integration ║ │
│║ of guitar, drums, and bass. Fredianelli ║ │
│║ apparently wrote all of this himself at a ripe ║ │
│║ young age -- certainly a heady accomplishment, ║ │
│║ leaving your humble reviewer to wish he had ║ │
│║ stuck with honing his guitar shredding skills ║ │
│║ rather than forming Third Eye Blind (a venture ║ │
│║ that has apparently caused an immense amount of ║ │
│║ pain in Tony's life, but I digress). ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ And then there's Riding in the Night, which ║ │
│║ deserves special mention. Where this song came ║ │
│║ from, I do not know. But to my ears, it's a bolt ║ │
│║ from heaven, a true power/prog metal delight. ║ │
│║ Plocica delivers the vocal performance of his ║ │
│║ life, with actual emotion, as if he's not just ║ │
│║ hired to support a young shredder for Mike ║ │
│║ Varney. You know -- as if this is an actual ║ │
│║ BAND. Fredianelli's rhythms are right in the ║ │
│║ pocket, working perfectly with the alternating ║ │
│║ double-bass drumming and semi-galloping attack ║ │
│║ of the chorus. And that chorus -- it's the ║ │
│║ moment of the CD. If for no other reason that ║ │
│║ this song, The Forgotten Scroll is worth a ║ │
│║ little effort to track down. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The production is typical Varney Shrapnel fare, ║ │
│║ which I always found to be somewhat ║ │
│║ disappointing. A lot of the mix lives in the ║ │
│║ midrange, without enough low bass or high clash ║ │
│║ to support it. I'd like to hear a more isolated ║ │
│║ remix, but obviously that's out of the question. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I understand there have been several bootlegs of ║ │
│║ this early Apocrypha album. Mine was acquired as ║ │
│║ a Japanese release, and sounds good enough. If ║ │
│║ you are lucky enough to track it down, it's a ║ │
│║ worthwhile listen, if a little flawed. Riding in ║ │
│║ the Night makes it all worthwhile in the end. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Tony Fredianelli Guitars, Vocals (backing), ║ │
│║ Keyboards ║ │
│║ Steve Plocica Vocals ║ │
│║ Al Rumley Bass ║ │
│║ Mike Poe Drums ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ DISCOGRAPHY ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The Forgotten Scroll Full-length 1987 ║ │
│║ The Eyes of Time Full-length 1988 ║ │
│║ Area 54 Full-length 1990 ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Penance (Keep The Faith) [04:13] │
│ 02 - Lost Children Of Hope [03:32] │
│ 03 - Holy Wars ((Only Lock The Doors) [03:58] │
│ 04 - Fall Of The Crest [04:40] │
│ 05 - Tablet Of Destiny [03:16] │
│ 06 - Look To The Sun [03:54] │
│ 07 - Riding In The Night [04:00] │
│ 08 - Distorted Reflections [03:32] │
│ 09 - Broken Dream [04:10] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [35:15 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
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