UMUR
"The Radial Covenant" is the debut full-length studio album by German artist Hannes Grossmann. The album was independently released in January 2014. Hannes Grossmann is quite a prolific name in metal circles having contributed his drumming to recordings by acts like Blotted Science, Necrophagist and Obscura. On this album he handles the drums and rhythm guitars, while a host of guests contribute lead guitars, bass, keyboards and vocals. Among others Linus Klausenitzer and Christian Münzner who at the time were his bandmates in Obscura, but also prolific names like Jeff Loomis and Ron Jarzombek. Triptykon guitarist V.Santura is one of the guest vocalists on the album and he has also handled the mixing and mastering of "The Radial Covenant".
Not surprisingly the music on "The Radial Covenant" is technical/progressive death metal which is very similar in sound and execution to Obscura (the Obscura track "Euclidean Elements" is included in a piano version, which closes the album). The musicianship are on an impressive high level and the material, which were written over the course of two years and recorded in July/August 2013, are of a relatively high compositional quality too. It´s a sci-fi concept album. The vocals are growling and the music features tempo changes, blazing solos by the many guests, and fast-paced riffing. There is the odd progressive idea here and there like a latin music section with handclaps, but other than that, "The Radial Covenant" is a relatively consistent album both in style and in quality.
Hannes Grossmann is first and foremost a drummer and therefore it´s only natural that the drums are pretty dominant in the mix. Not in a tasteless way tough and the sound production is professional, clear, detailed, and powerful.
Compared to some of the other acts that Hannes Grossmann has been involved with, this solo project is ultimately just a notch less interesting. When it comes down to it, it´s the compositions that lack a little something to elevate them from solid to brilliant. Fans of the above mentioned acts and especially fans of Obscura, should definitely check out "The Radial Covenant" though. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.