German juggernaut Poverty's No Crime returns for a fifth installment of hard-hitting progressive metal done the way it should be. Not a dull moment on this disc as it assaults the senses right from the opening chords of " Walk Into Nowhere." Sounding as if they've been doing this since...forever, the band rips through track after track with the precision and finesse of a surgeon.
Blending many of the finer elements of progressive metal heavyweights such as Threshold, Fates Warning and of course Dream Theater;
The Chemical Chaos establishes the band as a bona fide contender for the hard progressive crown.
Guitarists Marco Ahrens and Volker Walsemann tear up your headphones with crunchy, phat power chords and mind-bending solos; all punctuated expertly by the keyboard wizardry of Jorg Springub . Tracks like the superb instrumental " Terminal Trip" showcase a band in full possession of it's musical prowess. Mr Walsemann also demonstrates that he's no slouch in the vocals department either. His strong, mid-range voice sometimes bears similarity to such notables as Damian Wilson , though much less high-pitched.
The disc's main stength resides in the fact that every song is well crafted, balancing bombast and quieter moments ; thus allowing the music to breathe. The production is also top-notch, creating a wall of sound which knocks the listener flat on his ass! This one grabbed me from the first listen and just keeps getting better with repeated spins. Grab yourself a cold one, slip on the headphones, and crank it to 11! Highly recommended.
Track Listing:
- Walk Into Nowhere ( 6:33)
- Every Kind Of Life ( 6:15)
- All Minds In One ( 6:37)
- A World Without Me ( 5:26)
- Terminal trip ( 6:53)
- Pact With The Past ( 8:58)
- Left To Chance ( 4:43)
- Moving Target ( 6:16)
- Do What You Feel ( 7:17)
Bonus Track:
- Access Denied ( acoustic version) (4:41)