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Worldview: The Chosen Few
No, no, no, no, no, no! When will record companies and PR bods realise that the utter crap that they write fools precisely nobody? Apparently, "Worldview features members from iconic bands like Sacred Warrior, Deliverance and Recon." Iconic in what world exactly? Not exactly Led Zepplin or Pink Floyd are they? The album was mixed and mastered by Bill Metoyer [Fates Warning, Slayer, W.A.S.P.]and features guest appearances by Oz Fox [Stryper], Les Carlsen [Bloodgood], Larry Farkas [ex. Vengeance Rising], Jimmy P Brown II [Deliverance] and more. It's fair to say that we aren't dealing with names from the very top of rock & roll's tree so why the grandiose claims such as the album, "promises to deliver high energy and melodic power metal to the eagerly awaiting metal-listening community throughout the planet …"
All this hyperbole certainly puts me off and it shouldn't as The Chose Few is a solid, if not exactly earth shattering release. It's somewhat bombastic and dramatic and in vocalist Rey Parra there's some real strength. Guitarist George Rene Ochoa is solid throughout and the whole thing has a very European feel but doesn't stray into Euro (power) metal clichés for the most part. It's also very heavy in places especially on "Prisoner of Pain" for example. This track is followed up by the pulsating "Two Wonders" and this section is the heart of the album and really allows George Rene Ochoa to spread his wings and shine. Throw in some nice artistry on the cover and this is a decent release.
Track Listing:
1. Mortality
2. Illusions of Love
3. Back in Time
4. The Mirror
5. Why?
6. Prisoner of Pain
7. Two Wonders
8. Walk Through Fire
9. The Chosen Few
10. The Last Cry
Added: August 3rd 2015
Reviewer: Simon Bray
Score:  
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2728
Language: english
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Worldview: The Chosen Few
Posted by Jonathan Swank on 2015-08-06 07:22:05
My Score:
While I agree that the label hyperbole is a bit ridiculous I feel compelled to answer your question about in what world are these names iconic. In the Christian metal scene Deliverance and Sacred Warrior remain "iconic" but I doubt those bands or any of their former members would refer to themselves in that way. But perhaps my review will better clarify for those interested in knowing the truth behind this band and this release.
For fans of the late 80's/early 90's wave of Christian metal (Barren Cross, Sacred Warrior, Bloodgood, Stryper, Deliverance, Recon and Vengeance Rising) Worldview is going to be a band you will really want to check out. Several years now since inception, the debut release is a reality. Best described as a collaboration of Rey Parra (Sacred Warrior) and George Ochoa (Deliverance, Recon), Worldview is the product of the inspiration of the late Rick Macias (keys Sacred Warrior) who died in 2009 before he could witness the culmination of his dream. Efforts not in vain, Parra and Ochoa, along with drummer Johnny Gonzales and bassist Todd Libby, have delivered a very good collection of heavy melodic metal tunes. Aided by a few metal brethren (Les Carlson, Jimmy Brown II, Larry Farkas, Oz Fox and Ronson Webster) and the excellent mixing of Bill Metoyer The Chosen Few has a lot to offer.
The music is heavy, yet pretty laid back - very few songs with a blistering pace - which might surprise/disappoint some fans expecting another Recon or Sacred Warrior album. Honestly, these guys did an excellent job of not rehashing or repeating what many of the aforementioned pillars of Christian metal have already accomplished. Really, this is a perfect blend of older metal with more progressive leanings and even a few modern metal touches. Nonetheless, a few comparisons are fair. Parra's vocal phrasings and the vocal harmonics share much in common with Obsessions era Sacred Warrior, which shouldn't be a surprise since that was really Parra's last great metal recording. Even the drum sound echoes the Obsessions recordings (check out the drum outro on the opening track for reference). For those familiar with the Conception - Flow release (Roy Khan's first band) some of that vibe shows up here. Likewise, some of the symphonic elements remind me of Khan's other band Kamelot during their Karma/Epica/Black Halo era. The slower and groove oriented approach - with Eastern flavorings - also brings to mind the Texas band Z-Lot-Z. And of course, Empire era Queensryche comes to mind as well.
Not surprisingly Parra sounds great. In my opinion, along with Bloodgood's Les Carlson (who makes a cameo appearance here on the title track) I have long felt Parra was the best singer ever in the Christian metal scene - his Tate meets Dickenson style so powerful, yet passionate. It is easy to recommend this record just based on his amazing performance alone. But there is so much more here as Ochoa has crafted some great songs and lays down some pretty mean guitar leads as well. This isn't shred, so don't expect speedy solos and leads, but there is a ton of conviction and passion. The keyboards, percussion and strings bring in the symphonic elements to fill out the sound without tainting the heavy vibe going on here.
And speaking of conviction, fans of Sacred Warrior will love the lyrics. That band had such a gift at writing lyrics that were filled with challenging truths and convictions yet steered away from cheesy overly simplistic rants. Parra continues in that vein here. For how can you deny the truth in the opening track "Mortality" or the humble introspections of "The Mirror" and the struggle to find worth in "Prisoner of Pain." The title track, which is one of those longer "Silent Lucidity" type ballads, is one of the best tracks both musically and lyrically. I love the way this song presents truth in a loving manner, inviting the listener to uncover the "mystery" through seeking and prayer.
Of course there is so much more to explore but suffice it to say it's all good. And while I'll avoid the song by song review, highlights are, in addition to the songs I mentioned above, the powerful "Illusions of Love," the Zeppelin-like "Prisoner of Pain," the extremely catchy and radio friendly "Walk Through Fire" and the dynamic finale "The Last Cry." While this release was a long time in coming to fruition, thanks to Rey, George and friends for making Rick's vision a reality.
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