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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
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│ + Palantir - Lost Between Dimensions-(SSR-DL-213) + │
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│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.nov-07-2017 Encoder......L3.98.4 -V0 --lowpas ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2017 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........10 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Palantir Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Lost Between Dimensions-(SSR-DLabel : Stormspell ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Before I dig into this review, I feel I must ║ │
│║ make a quick confession: I've always had a ║ │
│║ difficult time appreciating so-called ║ │
│║ "symphonic" heavy metal. Don't get me wrong, I ║ │
│║ greatly respect the amount of time, talent, ║ │
│║ expertise and instrumental dexterity that must ║ │
│║ go into creating such complex music, but on the ║ │
│║ other hand I don't think I have ever heard a ║ │
│║ symph-o-metal album that has truly blown me ║ │
│║ away. I dunno, I guess I just prefer my metal to ║ │
│║ be a bit more on the traditional "meat and ║ │
│║ potatoes" side, with a certain amount of grit ║ │
│║ and grime. Therefore, I'm probably not the best ║ │
│║ judge of what's "good" or "bad" when it comes to ║ │
│║ this slick, shiny, super melodic end of the ║ │
│║ metal scene. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ With that caveat in mind, I will now turn my ║ │
│║ attention to Lost Between Dimensions by ║ │
│║ Palantir, a self-described "inter-dimensional ║ │
│║ symphonic power metal band" from Stockholm. This ║ │
│║ Swedish trio's debut was released in September ║ │
│║ 2017 via the retro-metal specialists at ║ │
│║ Stormspell Records. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The band's name comes from the works of J.R.R. ║ │
│║ Tolkien (Him again? I already reviewed one ║ │
│║ Tolkien-obsessed combo this week -- Numenor's ║ │
│║ Chronicles, also from Stormspell!), where a ║ │
│║ "Palantir" is apparently some kind of crystal ║ │
│║ ball that allows beings to communicate with one ║ │
│║ another across vast distances. I guess that ║ │
│║ explains the comic-book style cover art, which ║ │
│║ shows some kind of hooded cosmic being watching ║ │
│║ a warrior through a glowing orb. Since I've ║ │
│║ never read a word of Tolkien, I'm just going to ║ │
│║ take Google Search's word for it. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ (Trainspotters take note: that same Google ║ │
│║ search also revealed that there are two other ║ │
│║ "Palantir" bands out there. One is a black metal ║ │
│║ combo from Arkansas, USA, and the other is a ║ │
│║ one-man instrumental project from Germany, so ║ │
│║ buyer beware!) ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Though Palantir is not the sort of thing that ║ │
│║ lands regularly on my musical plate, I have to ║ │
│║ admit that they've crafted some very well ║ │
│║ produced, spotlessly performed material here. ║ │
│║ Those of you who go nuts for the ultra-polished, ║ │
│║ epic Euro-power metal sound should definitely ║ │
│║ dig Lost Between Dimensions. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Lost Between Dimensions opens with the rousing ║ │
│║ "To Valhalla," which falls into a nice Blind ║ │
│║ Guardian-esque groove fairly quickly. Echoes of ║ │
│║ prime Michael Kiske-era Helloween are quite ║ │
│║ evident in "Escaping Reality," which gives ║ │
│║ vocalist Markus Sannefjord-Olkerud a chance to ║ │
│║ show off his impressive pipes. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ "War of the Worlds" has some nice chunky guitar ║ │
│║ riffing and a suitably epic sounding chorus. In ║ │
│║ fact, the entire album has a very "big," ║ │
│║ cinematic feel to it, as if these guys were ║ │
│║ trying to create a soundtrack to a mega-budget ║ │
│║ science fiction/fantasy epic. "The Dark Crystal" ║ │
│║ provides a quick 45 seconds of quality guitar ║ │
│║ shred courtesy of Fredrik Erikson-Enochson (side ║ │
│║ note: these Swedish names are playing hell with ║ │
│║ my spell check!) before launching into the chug ║ │
│║ of "Revival," the heaviest track on the album ║ │
│║ thus far. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The battle between good and evil continues on ║ │
│║ "Warriors of the Sun," while "Tragicomedy" ║ │
│║ underlines the band's theatrical obsessions by ║ │
│║ comparing a person's life with a stage ║ │
│║ production. "Kings and Queens" has a nice ║ │
│║ groove, with swirling keyboards wrapping around ║ │
│║ a bed of muscular guitar riffs. The ten-minute ║ │
│║ title track closes the album and as you might ║ │
│║ expect, it's Palantir's most epic construction ║ │
│║ of all. The trio pulls out all the stops on this ║ │
│║ track, opening with some Savatage-esque ║ │
│║ plaintive piano and classical flourishes, then ║ │
│║ kicking into heavy, cosmic interstellar ║ │
│║ overdrive with sound effects and angelic choirs ║ │
│║ backing Olkerud on the huge multi-tracked ║ │
│║ choruses. On a side note, guitarist Enochson is ║ │
│║ credited with all of the bass, keyboards and ║ │
│║ "orchestration" on this album so I feel he ║ │
│║ deserves some extra props...the man's got ║ │
│║ serious skills! ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I enjoyed Lost Between Dimensions more than I'd ║ │
│║ initially expected when it first came across my ║ │
│║ desk. The album is a totally pro package all the ║ │
│║ way. I will probably never become a big time ║ │
│║ symph-metal head, but Palantir packed more than ║ │
│║ enough musical firepower to impress even my ║ │
│║ jaded ears. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Fans of the aforementioned Blind Guardian as ║ │
│║ well as their many epic-themed spiritual ║ │
│║ godchildren like Evergrey, Kamelot, Lost ║ │
│║ Horizon, Rhapsody of Fire or Nocturnal Rites ║ │
│║ should definitely check this album out. Support ║ │
│║ underground metal! ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Marcus S. Olkerud - Vocals ║ │
│║ E-man Lindberg - Drums ║ │
│║ Fredrik Erixon-Enochson - Guitars, Bass, ║ │
│║ Keyboards, Orchestration ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - To Valhalla [05:37] │
│ 02 - Escaping Reality [06:15] │
│ 03 - War Of The Worlds [04:11] │
│ 04 - The Dark Crystal [00:45] │
│ 05 - Revival [06:06] │
│ 06 - Warriors Of The Sun [04:41] │
│ 07 - Tragicomedy [05:01] │
│ 08 - Centre Of My Life [05:37] │
│ 09 - Kings And Queens [06:04] │
│ 10 - Lost Between Dimensions [10:02] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [54:19 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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