TIME REQUIEM — Time Requiem (review)

Album · 2002 · Power Metal

3/5 · 2023-08-21
lukretion

Keyboard wizard Richard Andersson founded Time Requiem after disbanding his previous neoclassical power metal project Majestic. The new band feature both former Majestic’s personnel (singer Apollo Papathanasio, guitarist Magnus Nordh and drummer Peter Wildoer) and new musicians (bassist Dick Lövgren, who will later play with Meshuggah), making for a highly technically proficient line-up. The band’s sound sits somewhere between the typical neoclassic flair of Yngwie Malmsteen and a slightly more symphonic and progressive approach that bring to mind acts such as Royal Hunt. The latter influence is accentuated by the fact that both the Danish band and Time Requiem have a keyboard player as their leader and main songwriter. This means that the keyboards often play lead instrument in the solos as well as in the construction of riffs and melodies. Additionally, there is a symphonic flair in the songs’ arrangements, with the guitars often playing the role that strings would take in an orchestra, offering rhythmic foundation to the music and countermelodies to the keyboards’ main melodic lines.

The symphonic approach is particularly evident in the mid-tempo tracks (“The Aphorism”, “Visions of New Dawn”), where there is more room to develop sophisticated and layered arrangements. Here, singer Apollo Papathanasio at times reminds me of Savatage’s Zak Stevens, with his dramatic tenor voice – adding one further theatrical element to the proceedings. Elsewhere, Time Requiem favour a more compact and speedier approach, more straightforwardly inspired by neoclassic power metal aesthetics (“Watching the Towers of Skies”, “Grand Opus”). Occasionally, subtle progressive ambitions emerge too, as in the opening song “Time Requiem”, with its complex, multi-part structure that allow for multiple recurring themes and tempo changes. This is a direction that I would have liked to see developed more often through the album, as it confers a distinctive identity to the band, setting them apart from other neoclassical power metal acts of the time.

In fact, general lack of originality is probably one thing that bogs this album down somewhat, as Time Requiem sound exactly as you would expect a neoclassical metal band circa 2000 to sound, with all whistles and bells. By 2002, the trick may have stated to become old, although it has to be said that this album offers one of the better examples of the genre overall. Considering the dismal state of affairs among other purveyors of this approach at that time (Yngwie Malmsteen in primis), this is no small feat.

The album’s most serious limitation lies however in the overall struggle to come up with truly memorable and impactful songs. “Milagros Charm” may be the one track that manages to sear itself into the brain of all who listen, by virtue of its irresistible refrain and the outstanding guitar riff that surfaces again and again throughout the song. As already mentioned, “Time Requiem” is also interesting for its richer structure, while the instrumental “Brutal Mentor” offers good thrills, with its full-on speed acrobatics. The other tracks are however much less memorable, humming pleasantly in the background but rarely compelling the listener to really pay attention.

Despite these limitations, Time Requiem’s debut is a strong example of neoclassical metal, well-constructed and smoothly delivered, with excellent performances and technical yet highly melodic playing. The title track’s subtle progressive inclinations are a particularly promising direction I hope the band will follow in subsequent releases, which I will definitely check out soon.