STILLLIFE — Requiem (review)

STILLLIFE — Requiem album cover Album · 2010 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
J-Man
Stilllife is a four-man prog metal act hailing from Michigan, and Requiem is their debut effort. Essentially a "band of brothers", so to speak, three out of Stilllife's four members are all part of the Charbonneau family. The only unrelated band member is guitarist Joe Melin. Requiem, their self-released debut from 2010, is ultimately a promising beginning, but it's still clear the band has a few issues to work out before taking the prog metal world by storm.

Stilllife plays a style of progressive metal with plenty of ventures into traditional heavy metal/power metal territory. I'm often reminded of acts like Fates Warning, Iron Maiden, Queensrÿche, Judas Priest, and Iced Earth. The lyrics are also (for the most part) focused around the harmful effects and corruption of organized religions. Though both Stilllife's influences and their lyrical topics are something that greatly appeals to me, Requiem doesn't quite live up to my expectations. Right from the get-go, it's clear that this isn't the most professional product out there - the production is of demo-quality, the mix is uneven, and Stilllife is still a group of amateurs in regard to musicianship. It's clear that these guys have plenty of potential, but it's not fully lived up to on Requiem. A few more practice sessions and a professional production may have done this band miracles.

Although it may sound like this album is all bad, that's far from the truth. The compositions are interesting enough and the band does possess a powerful sound - I'm just not sure if that's enough to override the album's weak technical assets. And considering the size and diversity of the prog metal scene, half-baked albums like this may not be worth everyone's attention. Still, there are plenty of excellent moments here (especially in the masterful "Hypocriticism/The Becoming") that make this an enjoyable listen for me. The most I can give to Requiem is 2.5 stars, but I'm still hopeful for their next effort. Stilllife has the potential - now they just have to fully execute it.
Share this review
more

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!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

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

Gaia Metalcore
RELATIONS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Decievers Deathcore
ORACLE SPECTRE
Buy this album from MMA partners
A Fountain Of Anguish Is Gone Sludge Metal
TIGGUO COBAUC
Buy this album from MMA partners
Colossal Oppressor Sludge Metal
TEN TON SLUG
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tribus Rattus Mortuus Atmospheric Sludge Metal
TRAP RATT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Relations - Schwarzes Blut - 2020 - Lyric Video
RELATIONS
Bosh66· 104 minutes ago
RELATIONS - SHELTER (Official Video)
RELATIONS
Bosh66· 104 minutes ago
RELATIONS - NIGHT LIGHTS (Official Video)
RELATIONS
Bosh66· 104 minutes ago
ORACLE SPECTRE - VOIDSAYER (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO) [2023]
ORACLE SPECTRE
Bosh66· 2 hours ago
WOMBMOTHER | ORACLE SPECTRE (LYRIC VIDEO)
ORACLE SPECTRE
Bosh66· 2 hours ago
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
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed