A magnificent second part

After a masterly debut with "RIsing Force", Ygnwie comes back to the attack with another wonderful but very different album. Here, the role of the instrumental themes has turned inside out with only two ones, having voice the rest of the album. We have again Jeff Scott Soto on voice, with much more prominence now; and Jens Johansson on keyboards. On the bass, now we find the virtuoso swedish player Marcel Jacob, that would found years later Talisman beside Jeff. The other incorporation is Ander Johansson on drums, the brother of Jens, that would stay several years in the band. Once again, Yngwie would take charge of composing, producing, mixing and arrangements.

The sound in this album is much more sharpened and heavy than in the fisrt one, but still including classical guitars and acoustic keyboards here and there, resulting in a metal style absolutly loud but full of musicianship, virtuoso playing and beautiful melodies. As well as in the first album, Yngwie here continued showing the path for a lot of metal bands in tyhe future.

Despite being wondewrful the whole album, if I have to choose some theme, I'd choose the two instrumental little jewels: "Overture 1383" and "Marching Out", and maybe "Don't Let It End".

Until the moment this album was released, I knew about Fates Warning and even I had some interest for them, but they wasn't a band of special interest for me. It was with this album that they took a giant step the become a favorite band for me.The adding of Ray Adler as lead singer is an importat element in that evolution, since he exceed widely John Arch, not only range of his voice, but in personality and sensibility too, opening for the band huge new territory. But it's not only the change of the voice, because the musical concept of the band got widened to limits unsuspected in previos records. Was it the Adler adding the definitive fact in the inspiration of the band to exceed themselves? I can't tell, but for sure this is one of my favorites prog metal albums ever. Despite the obvious influence of Iron Maiden and the main thrash metal bands of the moment, like Metallica, Testament and even Flotsam And Jetsam in same moments, Fates Warning turned into a first-rate band. I can't emphasize any track, all of them are wonderful and the full album is a masterwork perfectly balanced, not only the long and epic The Ivory Gates Of Dreams, that took up the full B side in the original vynyl release.

Essential for a full understanding of prog metal evolution.

I've known about Dream Theater since the release of their very first album "When Dreams And Day Unite", and from that moment until now I've been a follower of the band more or less staunch depending on the moments. When the second album "Images And Words" was released introducing the new singer James LaBrie, the band took a giant step with one of the best prog metal albums ever. Although the new singer wasn't the key factor in the achievement, in that moment I thought he was all right. It was when some live stuff of the band appeared when I realized the long distance between James Labrie and the others members of the band concerning quality, technique and skill. In fact, they are one of the best rock bands ever in that matters. Since them, He has never been up to what the band deserve. Dream Theater is an absolutly exceptional band, but otherwise, the voice would be a reason for me to forget about them.

Even with this, as the years went passed by, James Labrie has come improving until get a level "almost" correct and now, when I've got used and started to swallow him, he comes with an album like this of the True Symphonic Orchestra. In a word: Ridiculous. The worst prog metal album ever and the more pretentious one too. The reference in the art and the title of the album to the one of the true 3 tenors (Domingo, Carreras and Pavarotti) seems a kind of a killing joke or they are pulling your leg. I say this for many reasons. The other two singers in the album are real tenors (Bad or good, but they can be called that way), but what about James? is he trying to fool somebody singing like a slit throated chiken? Is this album real or just somebody kidding me?.

This album is a huge absurdity from the first note to the last one. Riffs are silly and repetitive and the strings arrangements completely childlike. Everything is stupid from the beginning to the end. The repertoire they have chosen is silly and inappropriate. But even when the full album is a huge mistake, the worst comes every time James open his mouth... you can die of embarrassment or double up with laughter. This album doesn't deserve to waste 1? in buying or 1 minute in listening, but if somebody wants a little sample he can't miss James singing in spanish (by the way, my homeland language) "Granada" or "Cielito Lindo" . Some years ago, along a short season a man (mentally handicapped) appeared in spanish TV singing that kind of songs, he's nickname was "Cañita Brava" and his memory came back to me inmediately when I listen to James here.

Beside rock and metal, I'm into other musics like jazz or classical and sometimes I discuss with people in those worlds defending the music values of some rock and metal bands. Now I wonder what shall I do if they know about this album. It would be the biggest shame in my life.

Just pathetic. Among the bad ones, this is the worst, Among the worst ones, this is the lower. An album that never should have been made.

After a promising, but mistreated for the production, debut album and a sequel much more mature and finished, comes this third effort of the dark band Mekong Delta.

The sound is much better than in the fisrt two albums, but still can improve. Anyway, the dark and dull sound contributes to make stronger the oppressive atmosphere of the most of the tracks. Even though this album doesn't tell a story from the begining to the end as 'The Music Of Erich Zann' did, there is a guiding line that joins all the lyrics matter, the music, and even the artwork, making a masterly whole effect.

A Really original creation that may surprise those that doesn't know about this unfairly underated band.

Simply superb!.

One of the best albums of heavy metal as well of electric guitar ever. Still today, I´m surprised when I think that Ygnwie composed, played and produced this album when he hardly was twenty. For the record he count ed with the great Barriemore Barlow, former drummer of Jethro Tull, of whom John Bonham once said that was th best english drummer ever. In keyboards we found Jens Johanson, a stranger in that time, virtuoso keyboard player of classical training that would take a main role like a permanent member of tha band for several years. In the voice we have other musician that was unknown in that moment, nothing less than Jeff Scott Soto, whom we have seen bright high singing very different styles of music later, nevertheless only two tracks in the album have voice, being instrumental the rest of it.

From the very beginning of his career, Ygnwie has been very loved or very hated. A certain arrogance in his attitude and way of playing have caused him a lot of antagonism, but with no doubt, this record marked a turning point in music, bringing a barrage of virtuoso guitar players as well of creating a new style of making metal music which influences reach to today.

For the moment I will not coment track by track, but this is one of the records I would carry to a deserted island.