Time Signature On spaceships and melodic metal...

Genre: melodic metal with a progressive touch

Having released two very good melodic and memorable metal albums (the chorus of 'Rise' from their 2011 debut full-length still sticks to my brain), Artizan are back with a third effort in the form of a futuristic sci-fi album called "The Furthest Reaches".

This time around, the music is, while still as melodic and accessible as always, slightly darker in tone, as reflected in the cello-based intro of the title track - which by the way is super epic and quite progressive. In fact, the Floridan band really seems to have embraced epicness this time, and that is a smart move, because, of course sci-fi narratives about spaceships and supernovas should be epic. 'Hopeful Eyes' is a nicely melodic and epic affair with massive vocals and melody galore, and there is even a wee touch of Thin Lizzy in the form of some sweet twin guitar harmonies. The heavy 'The Cleansing' is another dark track which open with an ominous evil laughter and then takes on an almost Solitude Aeturnus-esque epic doom metal-like character. The following track is strangely uptempo and melancholic at the same time, while 'Supernova' combines a sense of apocalyptic aggression with soaring vocals and 'Into the Sun' concludes the album on a musically uplifting note (and pays homage to Randy Rhoads in the process).

The songwriting on this album is of very high quality, as the band manages to combine hard rocking metal with melody and sophistication without every gong over the top. The performance is also very solid, with Ty Tammeus' clockwork drumming meshing in well with the melodic guitars, driving bass and Tom Braden's crystal clear singing voice. With guest performances by Matt Barlow and Sabrina Cruz, this album should be attractive to power metal aficionados. While this album does not contain a song as memorable as 'Rise', it does overall have a slight edge over the two preceding albums which, as mentioned, are already very good. I think one factor here is that the production on "The Furthest Reaches" is a bit better.

In conclusion, this is another bull's eye from one of Florida's best melodic meta bands, and fans of both traditional metal and power metal, as well as progressive metal, should definitely check it out.

Time Signature I Am the Storm...

Genre: melodic heavy metal

"Ancestral Energy" is the sophomore effort by the American heavy metal act Artizan, and a follow-up to the 2011-debut "Curse of the Artizan". Their debut impressed the critics with its melodic approach and slightly progressive twist, combining accessibility and sophistication. They obviously had something to live up to.

Did they succeed? Yes, they certainly did. "Ancestral Energy" is characterized by the same sense of melody and accessibility as the debut, but it strikes me as being less progressive. While the debut might be compared to Queensrÿche at their best, "Ancestral Energy" reminds me more of Maiden's "Brave New World". The songs on "Ancestral Energy" are fairly long and sophsticated, consisting of several passages. The album as a whole is characterized by solid riffage and enhtralling melodies and is generally a joy to listen to. The Artizan-guys are definitely extremely silled songsmiths.

The musicianship is top notch across the board. I don't want to belittle the efforts of the other performing members of the band, but I am in particular impressed with vocalist Tom Braden and drummer Ty Tammeus. Braden's voice has the same clarity as on the debut, but a slightly rwer edge. He really delivers the goods. Tammeus' drumming is both solid and organic at the same time, full of small details - much like Scott Rockenfied's style.

Fans of melodic and sophisticated metal with lots of hooks and lots of elements from both traditional metal and the more melodic branch of power metal should check out this album.

Kev Rowland This is the second album from this Florida based outfit, but it is the first time I have come across them, and yet again I am discovering a band that I wish I had known from the beginning as this is quite an album. If you enjoy melodic power metal with hints of symphonic then this is the one for you. The drums are a little higher in the mix than one might normally expect from music of this genre, but given that drummer Ty formed the group back in 2008 he can be forgiven as the end result is something that is polished and clean. It hasn’t had all of the rough edges smoothed over though, and there is never a fear of this dropping into AOR as there is just too much energy and passion for that. Ty Tammeus used to be in Leviathan and he has brought in his bandmate from those those days, Tom Braden, to provide the vocals while the line-up is completed by Shamus McConney (guitars) and Jon Jennings (bass).

While Iron Maiden and Helloween are musical references, so is Symphony X and Rhapsody, in an album that is a delight from start to end. The final song is the title cut, and it stretches out to more than ten minutes with Matt Barlow (ex-Iced Earth) making an appearance. It starts off slow and atmospheric but gradually builds into something that is both dramatic and impressive with plenty of riffs to go with the emotion. Well worth investigating www.puresteel-records.com

Time Signature Rise...

Genre: traditional metal

At first listen "Curse of the Artizan" might sound like good old traditional heavy metal with galloping guitars, guitar harmonies, bobbing drums and base, and Geddy Lee-inspired vocals. And in a way, it is. And it is pretty good, too.

Most, of the tracks are straight ahead, but with inbuilt mildly progressive elements, such as rhythmically slightly off bridges, a couple of odd time signatures, long acoustic intros in a couple of tracks and so on. In a way, Artizan, at their most progressive, remind me a bit of acts like Maiden, Priest, early Fates Warning and early Queensrÿche jumbled together - and that ain't a bad thing.

Artizan are obviously good musicians, and the album is characterized by professionalism all the way through. Performing lead guitarists Tony Smotherman and Hermanus Rombouts deserve to be mentioned because of their impressive and catchy classic metal style solos, which add a dimension of epicness to the album.

Also, vocalist Tom Braden makes an important contribution with his voice (which sounds like a less acrobatic combination of Geddy Lee and Claudio Sanchez) and the way he delivers the catchy chorus lines (check out "Rise", "Man in Black" and "Fading Story"). It may take a couple of listens to get used to his voice, but, when it clicks, you can't really imagine this album with any other frontman.

"Curse of the Artizan" is a catchy traditional metal album with emphasis on melody, and should appeal to fans of Maiden, Priest, early Fates Warning and the like.