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░ ██ ██ Artist: Cullooden ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Silent Scream █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2014 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-10-10 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Dead End Exit Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ As a devoted Metal enthusiast, I would have to █
█ label Progressive Metal as my musical niche, as █
█ I'm sure many other people have 'their genre'. As █
█ it happens, most of the best Progressive Metal, I █
█ find, come from Scandinavia; SEVENTH WONDER of █
█ Sweden, CIRCUS MAXIMUS of Norway and ANUBIS GATE █
█ of Denmark. Alas, my senses are graced by a newer █
█ band out of the area: Sweden's CULLOODEN. While █
█ some of the music is nearer to Hard Rock roots, █
█ the progressive metal flourishes are still █
█ extremely noticeable. What originally drew me into █
█ loving this band's debut album are the vocals; █
█ infinitely powerful in all the vocal ranges sung █
█ at, and instantly reminded me of SEVENTH WONDER █
█ and KAMELOT's Tommy Karevik. █
█ If there are a handful of tracks on this album █
█ that would indisputably be considered Metal, it █
█ would be the opening track, ôHeaven Feels so █
█ Hollowö. It opens just like a FATES WARNING song, █
█ and plays just like one, but rife with many catchy █
█ hooks typical of Hard Rock, especially in the █
█ infectious chorus. As I had hoped, there were █
█ definitely enough Proggy-sounding, Jazzy sections █
█ involving wistful guitar and atmospheric keyboard █
█ melodies, which would soon enough transition into █
█ something ultimately Metallic. Further along is █
█ ôEndless Tearsö, which happens to contain █
█ memorable nuances reminiscent of each of my three █
█ (aforementioned) favorite Prog bands. The classy █
█ arrangements of CIRCUS MAXIMUS, the excellent █
█ vocals of SEVENTH WONDER and the thought-provoking █
█ lyrical poetry of ANUBIS GATE. This song is █
█ Progressive Metal. █
█ ôThe Progressö is quite different to anything █
█ heard so far, and takes a much more groove-driven █
█ approach to the riff work which, overlaid by █
█ soaring vocal melodies, makes for a powerful and █
█ emotional listening experience. In parts, Fredrik █
█ switches from the masterful grasp of vocal melody █
█ that he has proved to have to an effective █
█ aggressive approach. I swear, the man could sing █
█ anything. As I had hoped, I'm soon met with an █
█ entire half-a-song full of classically █
█ progressive, syncopated and avant-garde rhythm █
█ arrangements that scream DREAM THEATER. Possibly █
█ my favorite track on the record û an incredibly █
█ hard thing to name û is the final track, ôStar of █
█ the Nightö. The opening keyboards and guitar █
█ melody is beautiful and catchy, and invokes just █
█ as much emotion as any vocalist. The lyrics and █
█ vocals themselves are equally as beautiful in █
█ terms of poetic skill and grasp of melody. In █
█ fact, everything about this song is simply █
█ beautiful; the musicianship, arrangements. █
█ Everything. If you are having a bad day, or are █
█ down in the dumps, as they say; this is the music █
█ to turn to. █
█ New prog-metal talent is always refreshing to █
█ hear, but to come across a debut album that is as █
█ close as any band can get to perfect. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Heaven Feels so Hollow 6:26 ░
░ 2. Drowning in Silence 4:52 ░
░ 3. Endless Tears 5:59 ░
░ 4. Embrace Your Destiny 5:26 ░
░ 5. Our Only Desire 5:01 ░
░ 6. The Progress 7:11 ░
░ 7. Take Hold of Your Fear 5:26 ░
░ 8. An Interesting Fact 5:44 ░
░ 9. Welcome to Wonderland 5:32 ░
░ 10. Star of the Night 6:28 ░
░ 58:05 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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