They call
their style a mix between melodic metal, hard rock, modern rock and acoustic
rock, and that's exactly what they deliver. But what have they done to elevate
their music above the competition? Well, first of all they have 2 rock dinosaurs
in their ranks: drummer Jeff Plate (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, ex-Savatage,
ex-Metal Church) and vocalist extraordinaire Zak Stevens (ex-Savatage, Circle II
Circle), and that surely helps.
Because
besides another very good vocal performance from Zak there really isn't much
that separates them from the masses. Fourteen very well executed and produced
songs, but there is simply too much boiler-plate material on this album. Only a
few songs leave a lasting moment and I do miss the killer tracks. The catchy
chorus or the memorable melody line is missing...
Still a
solid and interesting start from Machines of Grace and Zak's presence
alone is enough to make people take notice, and the album does deserve your
attention if you listen to hard rock on a daily basis!
