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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Heir Apparent - The View From Below + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Rls Date..2020-03-21 Encoder......LAME 3.100 ║ │
│║ Genre.....Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year......2018 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........8 ║ │
│║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │
│║ Url..http://www.heirapparent.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Heir Apparent ║ │
│║ Album : The View From Below ║ │
│║ Label : No Remorse ║ │
│║ Cat.No : 0191924597179 ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Yeah, the reunion vogue is still running on full-throttleà ║ │
│║ the way it seems to me itÆs only Bangkok Procrastinators ║ │
│║ from the old-timers that havenÆt reformed yet... oh, and ║ │
│║ Chernobyl Radiators, of course. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I was surprised to find out about the release of SeattleÆs ║ │
│║ non-grunge-finestÆs latest as new outings have been leaking ║ │
│║ so sporadically from their camp in the past 20 years that ║ │
│║ itÆs quite easy for one to completely forget about their ║ │
│║ existence although the band have been in a supposed active ║ │
│║ mode since 2000. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Well, the guys did get tempted, namely the bass player ║ │
│║ Derek Peace and the drummer Ray Schwartz, eventually by the ║ │
│║ fashionable grunge sound that originated from their ║ │
│║ hometown under the Dr. Unknown moniker, a project that ║ │
│║ appeared right after the first chapter from the Heir ║ │
│║ Apparent saga came to an end. A very short spell, with one ║ │
│║ demo and one EP release in 1993, it was an attempt at ║ │
│║ mixing the radio-friendly sound that already started ║ │
│║ showing its head on ôOne Small Voiceö with noisier Aline in ║ │
│║ Chains-like aesthetics, but this ôvoiceö was never given ║ │
│║ the chance to get bigger, definitely for the better. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I clearly hear the fansÆ most pressing question: has said ║ │
│║ ôvoiceö gotten any bigger on this third instalment? Well, ║ │
│║ IÆll take a break now and will reply to it tomorrow in ║ │
│║ order to keep the suspense longerà kidding of course, here ║ │
│║ I am pleasing the crowd by saying that no, this new opus ║ │
│║ has not much to do with the bandÆs second showingà but it ║ │
│║ doesnÆt sound much closer to the great debut either. So ║ │
│║ what have our distinguished Seattle residents cooked this ║ │
│║ time around then? ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ This is a very atmospheric recording that is built ║ │
│║ by-and-large on anti-climactic balladic/semi-balladic, ║ │
│║ frankly doom-laden at times as well, layouts that would ║ │
│║ immediately bring to mind the Swedish progressive ║ │
│║ power/doom metallers Veni Domine, and the Australians Neue ║ │
│║ RegelÆs masterpiece ôIn a Wordö. In a word, this is an ║ │
│║ introspective, not very eventful listen which gets stirred ║ │
│║ but not really shaken by the two cuts that were already ║ │
│║ unleashed on a demo in 2003, ôSynthetic Liesö being an ║ │
│║ excellent dramatic power/doomster that nearly captures the ║ │
│║ spirit of the 90Æs Swedish movement (Veni Domine again, but ║ │
│║ also Memory Garden, Memento Mori, Fifth Reason, etc.) in ║ │
│║ its entirety. The other track ôSaviorö is a brisk vivid ║ │
│║ proto-speedster which winks at the 80Æs American ║ │
│║ power/speed metal scene, and remains the only one of its ║ │
│║ kind. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ IÆm almost willing to announce these two blasts from the ║ │
│║ past the highlights here, but there are other moments worth ║ │
│║ of interest on this hypnotic album which would still manage ║ │
│║ to lure the listener into its nearly meditative at times ║ │
│║ snare not without the help of the new singer Will Shaw ║ │
│║ whose emotional high-strung clean tenor is a perfect fit to ║ │
│║ the slow-burning musical setting. As the two mentioned ║ │
│║ numbers from the demo are placed in the middle, their more ║ │
│║ boisterous character can even be viewed some kind of a ║ │
│║ respite although the second half nicely comes alive with ║ │
│║ the Oriental doomy elegy ôThe Road to Palestineö and with ║ │
│║ the more contrived piece of dynamics ôInsomniaö which will ║ │
│║ easily wake up the audience with sweet memories of the ║ │
│║ debutÆs complex, steel-clad veneer. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ As a big fan of said debut I was expecting another, more or ║ │
│║ less ôgraceful inheritanceö, and the first two listens of ║ │
│║ the album reviewed here did nothing for me; in fact, I was ║ │
│║ initially ready to pronounce it a bigger upset than the ║ │
│║ sophomore evenà however, this small voice within compelled ║ │
│║ me to spend more time with it and lo and behold, its serene ║ │
│║ composed lustre started working its magic on me. The thing ║ │
│║ is that I always know when to stop before becoming fully ║ │
│║ bedazzled and start twisting my metallistic sobrietyà cause ║ │
│║ you canÆt overwrite one of the epitomes of US power metal ║ │
│║ regardless of how hypnotic and alluring you bend it this ║ │
│║ time around. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I donÆt know, maybe my understanding of the obligatory ║ │
│║ ôback to the rootsö reunion stint has become obsolete now; ║ │
│║ the bands all have their visions about the development of ║ │
│║ these new chapters from their career, and repeating old ║ │
│║ glories, I guess, doesnÆt seem like the most viable option ║ │
│║ out there. And in this particular case at least we donÆt ║ │
│║ have too many reasons to complain about; cause, if you ║ │
│║ think of it, the addition of a third benevolent signature ║ │
│║ to an old legacy can only be a plus; it never overwrites ║ │
│║ the first two, but its presence by all means has its weight ║ │
│║ especially if the will falls into the right earsà sorry, ║ │
│║ hands. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 1. Man In The Sky 5:53 │
│ 2. The Door 5:50 │
│ 3. Here We Arent 5:41 │
│ 4. Synthetic Lies 4:52 │
│ 5. Savior 2:26 │
│ 6. Further And farther 7:00 │
│ 7. The Road To Palestine 7:20 │
│ 8. Insomnia 6:03 │
│ │
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│ Total Length : 00:45:05 │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
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│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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│ │
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