Knight Area: Hyperlive (CD/DVD)

Hailing from the Netherlands, Knight Area have been playing their brand of neoprog, symphonic and heavy rock for a number of years now, releasing their debut The Sun Also Rises in 2004. Five studio albums later and one live release comes Hyperlive, a two disc set highlighting their concert in Katowice, Poland.

I have been a fan of the band for many years and was especially excited to dig into this live disc given the fact I had yet to hear Hyperdrive, their last studio effort, as all of its tracks are covered in this concert and with the same running order as on the studio album.

What has always struck me with Knight Area is their sense of melody, which has really been the focus on their recent material. This live release has the band playing progressive hard rock that is as catchy as anything I have heard this year. Songs like the album opening "Afraid Of The Dark" and "The Lost World" feature excellent lead and background vocals, rhythm guitar crunch and emotive lead guitar work. With "Bubble" and "Crimson Skies" the heaviness comes early with heavy rock riffs and powerful drums. The songs are proggy with some nice keyboard solos and first class musicianship. "Living In Confusion" is another melodic rocker softened with beautiful piano passages while "Avenue Of Broken Dreams" features soaring lead guitar. The songs are certainly more guitar based than they have been in the past.

The longest track "Medley" is an amalgamation of eight songs that flow together nicely showcasing tight playing and the band's melodic sensibility.

Besides the CD you also get a concert DVD with the same track listing. The concert footage is well produced with varying camera angles and nice close-ups of individual band members displaying their considerable talent. Added features include interviews, a photo gallery and desk top images.

The discs are housed in a trifold digipack adorned with a cool front cover, similar to the Hyperdrive CD and band pics inside.

If you like the bands Marillion, Pendragon and IQ you will want to add Knight Area to your list. If you are already a fan of the band I cannot imagine you not wanting this album. It is just too good to pass up. I highly recommend it.

Released on Metal Mind Productions.

Track Listing:
CD
1. Afraid Of The Dark
2. The Lost World
3. Bubble
4. Crimson Skies
5. Avenue Of Broken Dreams
6. Living In Confusion
7. Stepping Out
8. Running Away
9. Songs From The Past
10. Hypnotized
11. Medley (Conspiracy, Mastermind, A Million Lives, Dark Souls, Angel's Call,
Ever Since You Killed Me, Dreamweaver, A Different Man Part II)
12. Mortal Brow

DVD (same track listing as above)
• Band Interviews
• Photo Gallery
• Desktop Images

Added: December 20th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 1919
Language: english

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