Sun Caged: Artemisia

Sun Caged's debut album was so amazing that the band found an immediate cult following upon its release. Its strong mix of classic prog metal with sprinkles of fusion a la Liquid Tension Experiment and wild, crushing riffage in the style of Meshuggah and Cynic established them as a very promising band. However, due to various problems, all members except guitarist Marcel Coenen left the band, mostly forming their own projects. So it took quite a while for Coenen to recruit new members, as all previous musicians were simply top-notch and very hard to replace. The search took long, especially finding a good vocalist, but finally, after almost four years, the second Sun Caged album is out.

Artemisia features American vocalist Paul Adrian Villarreal at the helm, and he proves quite different from the previous vocalist Andre Vuurboom. Whereas Vuurboom sang in a more conventional prog metal style on the self-titled debut, he was able to convey all kinds of emotions from fear to rage to desperation easily in a sound not too unlike Ray Alder and James Labrie. Villarreal has a much different approach to singing; he harmonises a lot more with his vocals, always backing himself up during the choruses and even pre-choruses. Also, he uses plenty of wordless vocal harmonies, mostly after drawn-out, mind-bending instrumental passages. That said, he tends to stay in a safe melodic range through most of the album, rarely opting for aggressive, off-the-wall phrasing. That's not to say, however, he isn't capable of these styles, as the brief yet thundering semi-growled vocal part on the instrumental "Engelbert the Inchworm" is more brutal than anything Coenen has ever released. Villarreal's vocals carry a nice warmth to them, which really come through on the more laidback parts and will therefore connect easily with fans of melodic prog metal who also like a good dose of musical dexterity.

Musically, the elements that perfected their debut album are still present, though in a slightly more refined context. This album isn't quite as in-your-face as its predecessor, which I believe stems from the contribution of the new members. Coenen's playing showcases more restraint, but he still does cut loose and grace the pieces with his amazing sweeps and tapping harmonics. On the first song "Lyre's Harmony", a track which does a good job introducing the new guys, Coenen doesn't jump forward until the ending when the piece calls for a guitar solo. It begins with deft keyboards, sparse and well timed drum beats, and some effect-laden vocal bits before crunching rhythm guitars and keys drive the song to its inevitable climax, giving way to sweet solo performances from each member: the bass, the keys, the guitars, and then it's Coenen throwing in a sweet tapping lick whilst Villarreal's vocals are doubled - it's a great ending.

"A Fair Trade" stands out for its catchy main chorus, but this is far from a conventional melodic metal song. The riffage here has Coenen's massive riffing on the debut, backed by sturdy bass, and ethereal keyboards. Rene Kroon has done the impossible by replacing Joost van der Broek, as he is equally competent and does a great contribution to this record. I especially love his vintage keyboard exercises, much like the one on "A Fair Trade" and "Blood Lines" recalling the masters of the 70's. On the former, he is followed by the bass and guitars respectively, but it's again the lead solo at the end that complements the awesome vocal melody. The last couple of seconds of the piece are pure jazz: improvised guitar work is surrounded by a sweet keyboard patch.

The Meshuggah-styled riffery of "Unborn" is pure, unadulterated technical prog and will disprove anyone who thinks Sun Caged has softened up. While this album may not be as heavy as the debut, the heavier parts on this one totally slay. The tight drumming by Roel Van Helden (this guy is amazing!) and intricate bass lines plow through odd-time signatures only to be capped by Kroon's tasty synth dynamics. The soloing on this piece is beyond what the human mind can grasp on first listen, and Villarreal's wordless vocal melodies perfectly solidify this masterpiece. On the ballad "Afraid to Fly", albeit a bit long, and the melodic "Painted Eyes", the vocals are central, even though both tracks do contain nifty instrumentation. "Afraid to Fly" could actually also be on Coenen's previous solo album Colour Journey.

"Diaologue" constantly moves from heavy to slow, and the transition riff in between the sections is a lot like Pain of Salvation circa Entropia. Once again with lots of harmonised vocals, the keyboard solo is another highlight. Also worth mentioning is the sitar playing by Coenen's former Lemur Voice band mate Barend Tromp, lending the stomping track a somewhat eastern vibe, also thanks to the rhythmic percussion.

Like Aghora, another band whose sophomore album took years to see the light of day, Sun Caged are back, though slightly different than before. Fans of melodic prog such as Dali's Dilemma or Threshold during Extinct Instinct should grab this album immediately. The production is amazing, very warm and crisp, and the melodies are certainly going to appeal to many a listener. If you really like the heavier material on this album, you need to check out Freak Neil Inc., the band of former Sun Caged bassist Rob van der Loo, and for darker material there is always Andre Vuurboom's new band Sphere of Souls, both of which are also on Lion Music.

Track Listing

1. Lyre's Harmony
2. A Fair Trade
3. Unborn
4. Blood Lines
5. Painted Eyes
6. Engelbert the Inchworm
7. Afraid to Fly
8. Dialogue
9. Departing Words
10. Doldrums

Added: May 8th 2007
Reviewer: Murat Batmaz
Score:
Related Link: Sun Caged website
Hits: 7577
Language: english

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