Invicta is the third album from Bedfordshire progressive metal act HeKz, a band that might not be a household name at the moment, but that could all change very shortly. The current line-up of HeKz consists of:
Al Beveridge - Guitar
James Messenger - Keyboards
Kirk Brandham - Drums
Matt Young - Bass & Vocals
Tom Smith - Guitar
Citing influences as diverse as Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Rush, Judas Priest, Queensryche, Symphony X, It Bites, Black Country Communion, and Opeth, the music of HeKz is chock full of variety from both a songwriting standpoint as well as overall musical delivery. First, bassist Matt Young is a terrific singer, his high pitched, melodic still a perfect fit for these hard hitting & energetic songs. He really shines on the engaging "For Our Lives", a catchy yet heavy songs complete with some sizzling guitar work and tasty keys, while his soaring pipes sail to the heavens on the crunchy "The Light Fantastic", a tune that is like a meeting of Dream Theater and Iron Maiden. The chugging riffs and blazing solos of "To the Lions" are a great showcase for Smith & Beveridge's able guitar skills, while the more atmospheric and textured "Ultimatum" displays how well this band are at adapting a pure prog-rock style, something they also accomplish on the lengthy "Line in the Sand". Speaking of lengthy, there's also the epic "The Devil's Coin", a 15+ minute number that sees Messenger lay down some gorgeous keyboard tapestries alongside Young's tender vocals before the band turn it all into a wonderfully catchy, symphonic prog-metal tour-de-force full of impressive solo spots and ensemble performances. Great, HEAVY riffs in spots on this one as well, and chock full of many twists and turns.
If you've never discovered the music of HeKz before, Invicta is a fabulous place to start, and it's sure to be a favorite progressive metal release of many here in 2018. Well done!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
- Quetzalcoatl
- For Our Lives
- The Light Fantastic
- To The Lions
- Ultimatum
- Line In The Sand
- Trecena
- Pariah
- The Devil's Coin
- Victorious
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