Alder, Ray: II

With Fates Warning currently, and maybe forever slumbering, ex-Redemption singer Ray Alder has been ploughing a more singular furrow, first with a solo album, What The Water Wants, and then through the A-Z band/project with Mark Zonder. II is the rather lacklustre name of Alder’s second solo outing, the hugely talented vocalist enlisting Fates Warning guitarist Michael Abdow and pairing him with Lords Of Black six-string man Tony Hernando, with the duo also handling bass duties. Ignite drummer Craig Anderson rounds out the hugely skilful quartet, his work behind the kit impressive indeed, although it does have to be said that he’s driving a selection of songs that definitely sit at the mellower, moodier, more introspective end of the progressive metal realm.

In itself that’s not a problem, and maybe in these days where a huge amount of listeners seldom partake in the ‘album experience’, it’s possibly even a clever move. And yet, taken in one sitting, II does have a tendency to come across as a little one dimensional, and that’s even taking into account the fantastic performances put in right across the board. Tracks such as “This Hollow Shell� and “Waiting For Some Sun� undoubtedly retain a certain heaviness through a selection of gritty, growling riffs, leaving Alder’s vocals to add any real semblance of colour to proceedings. This he does like the master singer he is, with his performance across this album, while maybe not as elastic as it was in his youth, still as good as anything you’ll encounter in this front-man’s impressive body of work.

Flanked by Abdow and Hernandez the solos and riffs tumble forth with real power and bite on the likes of “Those Words I Bled� or “Changes�, but if I was being perfectly honest, even after spending a good couple of weeks with this album not much of it has taken up residence in my memory banks. Admittedly What The Water Wants was also a real slow grower, and I suspect that II will also prove to take a similar path. At this stage however, I can’t help but be impressed, but a little underwhelmed by the nine tracks this albums contains - correction, in isolation all nine tracks housed here are involving and interesting experiences, as an album, however, II doesn’t seem to quite equal the sum of those impressive parts.

Track Listing
1. This Hollow Shell
2. My Oblivion
3. Hands Of Time
4. Waiting For Some Sun
5. Silence Of The Enemy
6. Keep Wandering
7. Those Words I Bled
8. Passengers
9. Changes

Added: July 2nd 2023
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Ray Alder @ facebook
Hits: 584
Language: english

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