Graceful Degradation

Time for something a bit heavier, and move to sunnier climes. From Greece comes power metal trio Phase Reverse with their self-titled eleven track debut. Well, I say power metal - it actually fluctuates between heavy rock and heavy metal.

Take the utterly wonderful Road Fever. It has a strong, driving rhythm and makes use of the more heavy metal sounding guitars, except in the solo which is a scorcher but not a shred. For a good bit of shredding check out
Eye To Eye - John Stergiou, who is also responsible for mixing and mastering the album, has a terrific touch and really gets a range out of his instrument. High Hopes, for example, is much more laid back, understated and the drifting tones of the guitar with the languid rise and fall of Alex Alexiou's drums and Tas Ioannidis' echoing bass make for one hell of a song. Even when the guitar picks up the rhythm under the same mellow vocals and into the solo it's not not jarringly out of place - the track retains the laidback feel but acquires that little edge of intensity.

I should put in a quick word for Ioannidis' vocals as well. He has a fantastic voice. I have a suspicion that he could really let rip and belt it out, that he is being slightly restrained and not feeling the need to show off his full range. But he doesn't need to and it would probably have been a negative if he had. Stergiou has done a really good job with the production which balances the vocals and instruments as one coherent package, and what a package it is.