VAINGLORY — 2050 (review)

VAINGLORY — 2050 album cover Album · 2001 · Speed Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Pelata
As soon as I saw “Produced by David T. Chastain” on the back cover of 2050, I knew it was to be a total shred-fest! He is truly one of the most underrated, unsung guitar demons in metal history so I knew that if it had his name on it, it would have to be of exceptional quality.

Fortunately, my expectations were left intact upon playing 2050 seven or eight times now. This is one powerhouse band! I’ll cover the guitars first since they are impossible to ignore. Corbin Kings is outstanding! From his skillful and intricate riffing,to his uncannily fluid shredding, this guy is an all-around metal virtuoso. Just listen to the dual-lead harmonies in the beginning of “The Executioner.” Yngwie who? This guy is blistering! He goes from this harmonized frenzy into a tight, crunchy riff reminiscent of Nevermore. Vocals are handled very well I might add by Ted Braser. Ted has a dense, lower register tone with the right amount of edge. He relies on his strengths as opposed to aiming for the stratosphere with his vocal chords. What are his strengths? Strong phrasing, confident delivery and convincing vibe, that’s what. I don’t care how wide the range of notes is, without these three elements in place a singer will fall flat on his face. Ted has these in spades! Drummer Brian Harris and bassist Kevin Kekes are a super-tight machine delivering the staccato rhythms and hairpin changes with apparent ease.

Don’t be mistaken though, this is not an “all-chops-no-songs” effort here. The song structures are as solid as they are adventurous. “The Lost And Found,” the furious instrumental “Cast The Glamor,” opener “Fight Till The Death We Must” and “Directive 65,” with its exquisite guitar harmonies and somber acoustic picking are all definite highlights on this stellar disc. The lyrics, all penned by producer/guitar-god Chastain, are a futuristic, sci-fi tale.

Vainglory deserve mass amounts of attention in the metal world, and it’s my sincere hope that they get it. It would be a shameful thing for a record of this massive caliber to go unnoticed. These guys should be standing next to Nevermore, Iced Earth, and any other American metal heavyweight for they could easily hold their ground
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Oud Zeer Atmospheric Sludge Metal
ONTAARD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Oud Zeer Sludge Metal
THROWING BRICKS
Buy this album from MMA partners
War. Metal Related
WHORES.
Buy this album from MMA partners
Morbid Curiosities Sludge Metal
LUURCH
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us