The all-star
ensemble Avian
is back with a new and powerful metal monster. Mastermind and main song writer
Yan Leviathen has created another awesome power metal album that showcases the
brilliant voice of Lance King (Balance of Power, Pyramaze etc.) and together
with lead guitarist Bill Hudson (Cellador) and Jerry Babcock (Drums) they form a
powerful force to be reckoned with. Dave Ellefson and Jonah Weingarten, who were
a part of their debut album is no longer a part of the band.
The band picks up exactly
where they left us with 'From the Depths of Time', everything has just taken at
least one or two steps up the latter, and the pieces fit a lot better together
on this album. Where as I thought they lacked a clear vision and direction with
their debut album, I must say that they have tied the knots together this time
and have come up with a very good album.
The style is still somewhere
in the grey area between classic US metal (Lethal, Savatage and Crimson Glory),
European power metal (Blind Guardian, Edguy and Gamma Ray), and if you add a
pinch of progressive metal and some classic old school metal (Iron Maiden) the
result should sound something in the line of
Avian.
The songs are complex, well
composed and executed, Lance sings at his usual high standard and the production
is great and well balanced. All in all we are served a borderline awesome album
with an awesome vocal performance, brilliant guitar leads and good song writing,
and if your metal collection contains the above mentioned bands then I suggest
that you
give Avian
a listen as well...
