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Imaginery: Long Lost Pride

Imagine a band that combines Eighties arena rock ("Roughly Scratched But Alive") and epic metal ("Korozon, The Lord of Evil") with the sheer muscle of progressive speed metal (just about everything else on the 10-track second CD from Greece's Imaginery). Kick it all off with a latter-day Whitesnake rip-off ("Hypnotized"), throw in a Jorn-meets-Symphony-X corker ("In My Life") and then add absolutely one of the worst metal songs ever ("Blind Eyes"), and you've got an album that tries to extend itself beyond the European status quo. For the most part, Long Lost Pride succeeds – although on first spin, only a few tracks jump out. But thanks to the writing of guitar and keyboard wiz Bob Katsionis, plus the leather lungs of Bjorn Jansson (Tears Of Anger), Imaginery emerges with a powerful sound given added gravity with lyrics about human behavior and the horrors of modern war. Guest guitarists include Gus G. (Firewind), Marcel Coenen (Sun Caged) and Michael Harris. Despite the band name and the still-awful-after-several-spins "Blind Again," this album sounds more and more real with every spin.


Track Listing:
1) Hypnotized
2) The Sign of Today
3) When All Is Gone
4) The Nightmare of Kain
5) Roughly Scratched But Alive
6) Korozon, The Lord of Evil
7) Peace of Mind
8) Blind Eyes
9) No Other Way
10) In My Life

Added: September 8th 2005
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score:
Related Link: Lion Music
Hits: 2609
Language: english

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Imaginery: Long Lost Pride
Posted by Murat Batmaz, SoT Staff Writer on 2005-09-08 12:27:20
My Score:

Greek keyboard and guitar player Bob Katsionis is best known for partaking in various metal bands and projects in different capacities. Besides his work with well-known power metal band Firewind, he has also been involved in the amazing atmospheric death metal band Septic Flesh, the neoclassical shred act Overlord's Perpetual, the gothic-tinged melodic metal band Star Queen, and of course the great Greek black metal ensemble Nightfall, among many others.

Imaginery shows Bob Katsionis' power metal side where he plays both guitars and keys and writes melodic power metal songs suited to the voice of Bjorn Jansson, the successful singer of Tears of Anger. Jansson doesn't sound like the typical Euro power metal singer; he is more in the league of singers like Jorn Lande, Jeff Scott Soto and Glenn Hughes. The classic power metal anthems such as "Hypnotized", "Sign of Today" and "When All Is Gone" are filled with huge choruses, speedy guitar riffs, melodic solos, and the occasional nod to 80's Malmsteen or Whitesnake inspired hard rock. On the other hand, Katsionis also utilises symphonic keyboards and marries them with Egyptian themes on "Blind Eyes", which except its lyrics, is a very solid cut. The lyrics seem a bit forced; every line is forced to rhyme with each other, and therefore Jansson seems to have difficulty in delivering it the way it's meant to be. "Nightmare of Kain" might be the heaviest number and sticks out with its clever arrangement and thick bass bottom. Guests include Marcel Coenen from Sun Caged, Gus G. Marcel from Katsionis' Firewind band, and Michael Harris, all of whom play fitting guitar leads. The European version of the album also contains a bonus track titled "Dark Angel".

Long Lost Pride is a solid power metal release and will interest listeners who like bands that continue to borrow 80's elements from notable hard rock artists including Whitesnake and mix them up with earlier Malmsteen songs. This is another solid release from Lion Music along with Iron Mask, particularly for their vocalists killer performances.



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