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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Labyrinth - Return To Heaven Denied Pt II (Jap. Ed.) + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Mar-15-2013 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2010 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........12 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... Myspace ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Labyrinth Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Return To Heaven Denied Pt II Label : Avalon ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ http://www.myspace.com/labyrinthitalia ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ While the concept of the 'sequel' in metal is ║ │
│║ mostly now a stale looking move that earns weary ║ │
│║ ire for a possible cash grab, there will always ║ │
│║ be musical moments out there worth revisiting ║ │
│║ with a fresh outlook. Enter 'A Midnight Autumn's ║ │
│║ Dream', the follow up to Labyrinth's popular ║ │
│║ sophomore effort, 'Return to Heaven Denied', ║ │
│║ released in 1998 to wide acclaim. 'Return..', as ║ │
│║ it's predecessor, 'No Limits', fused the power- ║ │
│║ by-way-of-speed-metal stylings of bands such as ║ │
│║ Stratovarius with a darker feel, more ║ │
│║ progressive and atmospheric elements, and a ║ │
│║ fresh take on the neoclassical metal guitar that ║ │
│║ operated as a tool to open up the heart and sky ║ │
│║ rather than a vehicle for invoking the Baroque ║ │
│║ with little room to breathe. Though many other ║ │
│║ melody-driven power metal bands were often ║ │
│║ concentrating on olden lands of high fantasy, ║ │
│║ Labyrinth conjured the world of dreams and ║ │
│║ matters of the heart. The passionate, smooth ║ │
│║ toned, soaring vocals of Roberto Tiranti, the ║ │
│║ dueling, tube-driven riff 'n shred of Andreas ║ │
│║ Cantarelli and Olaf Thorsen's guitars, and the ║ │
│║ prog-minded, futuristic keys of Andrea de Paoli ║ │
│║ served as the nucleus that propelled the ║ │
│║ sweeping, emotional anthems of 'Return...' from ║ │
│║ great to classic. One more album afterward, and ║ │
│║ Olaf Thorsen left to focus on Vision Divine, ║ │
│║ leaving Labyrinth's newer material to be ║ │
│║ unfairly subjugated to constant calls to return ║ │
│║ to the atmosphere of the old dreamlands, despite ║ │
│║ the band consistently putting out more ║ │
│║ progressive and fresh sounding and feeling ║ │
│║ material. With the man back on board and the ║ │
│║ second installment of 'Return..' released, most ║ │
│║ would expect nothing more than a nostalgia trip. ║ │
│║ Thankfully, 'A Midnight Autumn's Dream' is not a ║ │
│║ mere shadow of it's older twin - it channels the ║ │
│║ same emotions and atmospheres perfectly while ║ │
│║ managing to retain much of what Labyrinth has ║ │
│║ accomplished since Thorsen's original departure. ║ │
│║ While the album is instantly recognizable as an ║ │
│║ addition to the world of Labyrinth's first two ║ │
│║ albums, what it really is as a whole is most of ║ │
│║ the best of every album from the band's career ║ │
│║ rolled up into a big, glorious package of ║ │
│║ soaring melodies, romance, power, and longing, ║ │
│║ fueled by blood-pumping musicianship and ║ │
│║ unchained, utterly focused songwriting. As with ║ │
│║ their others before this, Labyrinth brings ║ │
│║ elements and emotions that many in metal would ║ │
│║ label disparate at best, and effortlessly fuses ║ │
│║ them with a classic progressive-minded power ║ │
│║ metal ethos that comes off completely realized. ║ │
│║ The too-real and the surreal have always co- ║ │
│║ existed as cornerstones of different expressions ║ │
│║ and projections in heavy metal, and here this ║ │
│║ band is one of the rare few who seamlessly weave ║ │
│║ the two together. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ 'A Midnight Autumn's Dream' opens with 'The ║ │
│║ Shooting Star', which brands itself an instant ║ │
│║ classic of the band's catalog as the familiar ║ │
│║ melody carried over from 'Moonlight' off the ║ │
│║ first installment gives way to a punchy main ║ │
│║ riff and runs full speed ahead through viciously ║ │
│║ memorable vocal lines, pausing for a huge hook ║ │
│║ in the prechorus before the chorus explodes - ║ │
│║ punctuated the second time around by a glass- ║ │
│║ shattering scream by Tiranti - and then runs a ║ │
│║ gamut of shredding leads with extra doses of ║ │
│║ soul. From the first note to the last of the ║ │
│║ opener, the album wastes no time bringing the ║ │
│║ listener right to the middle of some hazy ║ │
│║ dreamworld as evoked on the album art, the only ║ │
│║ place where the two soulmates of the concept can ║ │
│║ be together, even while eluding the masters of ║ │
│║ the domain for just a little more time. While ║ │
│║ the concept was well accomplished in a musical ║ │
│║ sense on the first 'Return..', and only fairly ║ │
│║ well done in the lyrical sense due to the band's ║ │
│║ rough grasp of English, the lyrics here are many ║ │
│║ times improved on, and are wonderfully ║ │
│║ instrumental in moving the songwriting and ║ │
│║ concept along with stirring the listener. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Although 'The Shooting Star' is a colossal start ║ │
│║ to the album, nothing thereafter really lets up ║ │
│║ in quality and intensity. 'The Chance' is ║ │
│║ another fast power metal anthem, followed by ║ │
│║ 'Like Shadows in the Dark', both of which ║ │
│║ underline Labyrinth's mastery of dynamic, ║ │
│║ multi-climatic songwriting achieved solely by ║ │
│║ chops rather than any kind of gimmick that would ║ │
│║ downplay the full band's input. The former ║ │
│║ surprises with an incredible huge synth ║ │
│║ breakdown after the triumphant chorus, that ║ │
│║ recalls Labyrinth's influence from electronic ║ │
│║ music and exceeds in delight of the odd-on-paper ║ │
│║ hybrid of sound, while the latter is a soulful ║ │
│║ ballad/prog metal hybrid that keeps the listener ║ │
│║ guessing at the nature of the superb verse and ║ │
│║ chorus melodies as Tiranti exhibits a perfect ║ │
│║ blend of technique and feel over shimmering ║ │
│║ clean guitar and icy keyboard lines, then comes ║ │
│║ back one last time for a ghostly refrain near ║ │
│║ the end that just tops off the composition. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Small touches like the aforementioned refrain, ║ │
│║ elaborating on an already brilliant chorus, help ║ │
│║ make the album sparkle and shine from beginning ║ │
│║ to end. New drummer Alessandro Bissa mostly ║ │
│║ plays it safe with patterns that 'fit the song', ║ │
│║ but often plays them in ways that are just off- ║ │
│║ kilter enough to really bring the style and ║ │
│║ sound to new levels, approaching rhythms from a ║ │
│║ different point of view at times that bring the ║ │
│║ music a greater sense of intimacy. There are ║ │
│║ numerous, small references to the band's first ║ │
│║ two albums that dwell in the same conceptual ║ │
│║ pool - 'Sailors of Time' quotes a motif from ║ │
│║ 'Piece of Time' off the 'No Limits' album before ║ │
│║ returning to a seriously solid mid-paced anthem ║ │
│║ - and the guitar work, a major anchor of the ║ │
│║ album, constantly entertains a competition with ║ │
│║ the vocal lines for the most melodic, most ║ │
│║ memorable, and most passionate element in any ║ │
│║ song. Not a single note in a single riff or lead ║ │
│║ sounds wasted, and the two players work their ║ │
│║ way through flawless legato lines into aching, ║ │
│║ bend-affected strings of notes at the drop of a ║ │
│║ hat with the same effectiveness. In addition, ║ │
│║ there are constant dual-guitar lines that ║ │
│║ confidently ride over some of the main riffs ║ │
│║ where there is room, contributing additional ║ │
│║ hooks to the melodic brew. Unfortunately, ║ │
│║ Roberto Tiranti's vocals seem slightly 'beneath' ║ │
│║ the otherwise punchy mix at times, but he is by ║ │
│║ no means buried. Although he is not the main ║ │
│║ force in some of the songs - which is merely an ║ │
│║ aftereffect of the beefed up instrumentation - ║ │
│║ each line is still delivered with masterful ║ │
│║ conviction and full of the nuances that make a ║ │
│║ simple verse into a defining melodic moment. ║ │
│║ Ultimately, the album is yet another gallery of ║ │
│║ his culminative experience in singing metal, ║ │
│║ R&B, pop, even opera, and bringing Labyrinth's ║ │
│║ compositions to life with his individual style ║ │
│║ and talent for taking hold of a melody. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ On through the album, the flow remains ║ │
│║ remarkable. The title track injects new heart ║ │
│║ and soul - and an extra injection of heavy prog ║ │
│║ - into what might otherwise be considered a ║ │
│║ run-of-the-mill ballad formula, and the last ║ │
│║ three songs, ending with 'A Painting On The ║ │
│║ Wall', showcase more of the experimental ║ │
│║ elements introduced on the 'Freeman' album, with ║ │
│║ some more straightforward heavy metal influence ║ │
│║ melding with multiple tempo changes and a down- ║ │
│║ to-earth feel that still retains the band's ║ │
│║ trademark melodicism and keyboard work. As the ║ │
│║ album closes with an airy synth recall of the ║ │
│║ opening notes from 'Falling Rain' off of the ║ │
│║ first 'Return..', the expertise, workmanship, ║ │
│║ and passion poured into the latest addition to ║ │
│║ the Labyrinth discography is almost ║ │
│║ intimidatingly apparent. 'A Midnight Autumn's ║ │
│║ Dream' is as close to perfect as many albums ║ │
│║ get, and highly recommended. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - The Shooting Star [08:09] │
│ 02 - A Chance [05:49] │
│ 03 - Like Shadows In The Dark [05:31] │
│ 04 - Princess Of The Night [05:50] │
│ 05 - Sailors Of Time [04:30] │
│ 06 - To Where We Belong [04:47] │
│ 07 - A Midnights Autumn┤s Dream [06:52] │
│ 08 - The Morning┤s Call [06:36] │
│ 09 - In This Void [04:36] │
│ 10 - A Painting On The Wall [05:20] │
│ 11 - You Don┤t Remember I┤ll Never Forget (Y. [04:29] │
│ 12 - A Midnight Autumn┤s Dream (Acoustic Versio [04:55] │
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│ Total Length : [67:24 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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