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Awake - Illumination review



Reviewer:
7.0

3 users:
7
Band: Awake
Album: Illumination
Release date: June 2007


01. Disbelief
02. Retribution
03. Crime of Passion
04. Choices in Time
05. Begin Again
06. The price you have to pay
07. Dream within
08. Illumination
09. Forgiven now forever
10. My last goodbye
11. Shadows

Awake, until last year known as Humanity are an English progressive band and want to make themselves known by capitalising on their already growing fan base. This is the band's first album under the name of Awake and third overall. Expectations were quite good for this album, I wanted to listen to some progressive music and I wanted to learn of another English band - and in some ways the band have satisfied me and in others they haven't.

Opening track "Disbelief" is ok but to tell the truth I was hoping and expecting something with a bit more spice in it to make sure they have our attention right from the beginning but after a few listens now this track just seems like a rather average way to open an album. "Retribution" kicks in though with heavy guitars and now we feel like we have finally kicked into gear and going to get down to business. The album unfortunately doesn't stay as consistent as I would like though, there are some songs that you have forgotten about by the time the next song starts but there are also some nice songs that are nice to take note of. "Begin Again" is not a heavy track but has good singing and piano/keyboard to back it up and this is also followed by "The Price You Have To Pay" which again isn't the sort of song that will make you sit up in your seat but it does have some certain charm to it that I can't put my finger on - it is quite possibly the singing in the track. The vocals of the whole album are maybe a little laid back sounding; they certainly aren't as flamboyant as in plenty other bands. After an average "Dream Within" that's opening riff triggered alarms of Primal Fear's "The Immortal Ones" (I'm sure it's a coincidence) we can safely predict what the music of the rest of the album will be like.

This is not typical progressive metal; this is much more of a heavy album. There are not so many changes in the music and not so much musicianship that really makes you go "wow!" but this somewhat of a solid album and I am sure is more accessible to people who like this sort of heavy music that is not in-your-face and demanding all of your attention with every song and in some ways you could maybe say it is more commercial in that way. The album may sound a little bit like Dream Theater's "Awake" album in places and maybe in some places the keyboards are a little Masterplan like too.

I feel I am being maybe a little too negative with this overview of the album, the vocals really make songs like "Forgiven Now Forever" and "My Last Goodbye" more enjoyable and overall the album is not bad at all. It is produced very well and the band present themself here in a very professional way as well. After my first listen I didn't really find much to enjoy about the album but after giving it a few more times around it has warmed to me and certainly like I just mentioned, songs like "My Last Goodbye" can be very enjoyable and pleasant indeed, the last song on the album "Shadows" is also a good highlight of the album.

I would recommend this to people who like not so in-your-face metal, and do enjoy good heavy metal, progressive metal and even hard rock music. Just don't go into this album expecting some explosion of an album, or something that will totally blow you away, although this album is enjoyable it just doesn't have that extra, cutting edge idea that maybe bands need nowadays to get the amount of attention that they deserve.





Written on 12.06.2007 by Member of Staff since 2006


Comments

Comments: 1   Visited by: 6 users
23.11.2011 - 12:44
BudDa

Evergrey jumped right at me the minute I listened to the opening track
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Freeze! Step away from the hubris.
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