Brutiful_ViXn
Reign In Metal
Zodiac :  Metal Reputation : 88
Join date : 2012-01-05
Location : Vacationing in Hell
 | |  Lunar Explosion - Self-Titled (2013) Album Review | |
Lunar Explosion - Self-Titled (2013)
Scarlet Records -- Running Time 50:07
If you don't know, by now one of my favourite genres within the rock and metal world is power metal. I know it gets a lot of stick, but when it's done well it's brilliant so having received Italian band Lunar Explosion's self titled debut album to review and seeing that they had been signed by Scarlet Records my expectations were set fairly high. How wrong can you be and how on earth did Scarlet Records let this one slip through the net!
Lunar Explosion describe themselves as 'Progressive Neoclassical Power Metal' and if you can get your head around that description then it's actually a pretty fair description. This isn't your usual Italian metal band ala Rhapsody or DGM. Lunar Explosion sound more like a German Power Metal band with more than a hint of Iron Maiden thrown in. Round this off with oodles of guitar solos that would probably have Mr Malmsteen in a state of sexual excitement if he heard them then on paper you've got a band that sound very promising. Unfortunately, the reality of actually listening to this album resulted in me writing down the phrase " However hard you try, you cannot polish a turd"!
While their influences obviously include Helloween, Gamma Ray, Maiden etc, the songs are fifth and sixth rate copies of those bands. There is no spark or flair apparent, arrangements are bland and boring and Lunar Explosion don't seem to have an ounce of originality in their arsenal. Drums are supposedly being played by Andrea Grespi but in all honesty they sound more like a computer! Worst offender though is vocalist Raffaele Smaldone whose voice is weak, sterile and colourless and his high notes are piercing at best. He might be trying to do his best Michael Kiske impression but actually sounds more like Bruce Dickinson farting! Production is also very thin which does not help the band at all and considering it has been mixed by Mattia Stancioiu (Vision Divine, Labyrinth) I'm very surprised that it has been released in this state! Guitarists Mattis Sisca (who also plays keyboards) and Paolo Ferraro try admirably to inject something into proceedings with all the fast soloing, and some of it is actually quite good, but there end up being too many of them which inevitably results in more boredom setting in with the listener!
Have I been too harsh, well had this been released as a demo or on a smaller label then I would perhaps have been a little kinder so I suppose some of the blame here must be directed at Scarlet Records. They are one of my favourite labels and can usually be relied upon to sign and promote really good talent in a genre I love. They have failed big time here because there is no way Lunar Explosion are ready for the exposure that being on this label will give them! They aren't the worst band by a long shout but I'll be damned if I'm going to give them anything other than what they deserve at this particular moment in time, so here goes...Lunar Explosion are a good pub band and without a serious rethink that is what they'll stay!
http://www.lunarexplosion.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lunar-Explosion/155529451152231
https://www.facebook.com/scarletrecords
Review written exclusively for Brutiful Entertainment by Rick Tilley
www.facebook.com/richard.tilley.351
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