MAYFAIR

Progressive Metal / Non-Metal / Metal Related • Austria
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Mayfair is an Austrian progressive metal/rock band. Having been split up for more than a decade, the band reunited in 2012 and reissued their debut full-length "Behind" in 2013 on Pure Prog Records.
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MAYFAIR Discography

MAYFAIR albums / top albums

MAYFAIR Behind... album cover 3.83 | 3 ratings
Behind...
Progressive Metal 1993
MAYFAIR Die Flucht album cover 3.00 | 1 ratings
Die Flucht
Progressive Metal 1995
MAYFAIR Fastest Trip to Cybertown album cover 2.50 | 1 ratings
Fastest Trip to Cybertown
Progressive Metal 1998
MAYFAIR Schlage Mein Herz, Schlage album cover 3.50 | 2 ratings
Schlage Mein Herz, Schlage
Progressive Metal 2013
MAYFAIR My Ghosts Inside album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
My Ghosts Inside
Metal Related 2016
MAYFAIR Frevel album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Frevel
Non-Metal 2019

MAYFAIR EPs & splits

MAYFAIR live albums

MAYFAIR demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

MAYFAIR Live for the King album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live for the King
Progressive Metal 1989
MAYFAIR Find the Screams Behind this Gate album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Find the Screams Behind this Gate
Progressive Metal 1991
MAYFAIR Advance Tape 1996 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Advance Tape 1996
Progressive Metal 1996

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MAYFAIR Reviews

MAYFAIR Fastest Trip to Cybertown

Album · 1998 · Progressive Metal
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UMUR
"Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is the third full-length studio album by Austrian progressive rock/metal act Mayfair. The album was released through the King Pest label in 1998. As "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is the only release registered as being released through King Pest, I suspect that it´s the band´s own label. "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is the successor to "Die Flucht" from 1995 and it was the last album released during Mayfair´s original run from 1989 to 2000, when they disbanded the first time.

Although Mario Prünster´s Geddy Lee (Rush) sounding voice and delivery immediately gives away that "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is a Mayfair release, all metal elements (which were already sparse) from the two predecing album releases have been stripped from the band´s sound, and "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is instead a sort of experimental/semi-progressive rock album with strong alternative/indie rock leanings. It´s generally pretty odd sounding music and the emphasis is on groove, atmosphere, and weird/abstract songwriting ideas.

"Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is almost as thin sounding as the last two releases, and it would be a lie if i told you that it´s a particularly well produced release. But that´s nothing new when it comes to Mayfair. Upon conclusion "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is an odd sounding rock album, and I´m not sure who would be the audience for this type of music. It´s occasionally interesting, but never really a great listening experience and a 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

MAYFAIR Die Flucht

Album · 1995 · Progressive Metal
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UMUR
"Die Flucht" is the second full-length studio album by Austrian progressive rock/metal act Mayfair. The album was released through the German Music Is Intelligence label in 1995. It´s the successor the the 1993 debut full-length studio album "Behind...".

Stylistically "Die Flucht" is a continuation of the odd/atmospheric/theatrical progressive metal of the debut album, although the band have scaled slightly back on the technical playing, and have put even more emphasis on atmosphere and occasionally play a more alternative/indie rock oriented sound. Mayfair are almost impossible to describe correctly, because their music style is pretty unique but an atmospheric, floating, and sometimes theatrical progressive rock/metal style isn´t all wrong. It´s slow- to mid-paced music which often sounds almost linear in structure. The tracks feature a decent amount of sections and different musical ideas and moments, but they often feel a little directionless, unfocused, and lacking melodic hooks.

The sound production is as thin and powerless as the sound production on the debut album, so no development or positive changes in that department. "Die Flucht" is not a bad release, but it´s not really great either and just as my feeling was when listening to the debut album, I also feel that "Die Flucht" is more interesting than great. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

MAYFAIR Behind...

Album · 1993 · Progressive Metal
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UMUR
"Behind..." is the debut full-length studio album by Austrian progressive metal act Mayfair. The album was released through General Inquisitor Torquemado in 1993. Mayfair formed in 1989 and released the 1989 "Live for the King" and the 1991 "Find My Screams Behind This Gate" demos before being signed for the release of "Behind..." by the small and shortlived independent General Inquisitor Torquemado label.

"Behind..." features 6 tracks and a total playing time of 29:16, which really isn´t much considering that this is a progressive metal release. One of the regular features of the genre is excessive song- and album lengths, but Mayfair are generally a very different sounding and quite creative progressive metal act, and you should by no means expect this to sound like the Dream Theater school of progressive metal, which started to flood the market around this time. The music features no keyboards, and it´s often strangely atmosperic and almost abstract theatrical in nature. The most odd moments of Psychotic Waltz may be a valid reference, but the music on "Behind..." is quite hard to describe correctly.

It´s certainly unique and quite the interesting listen, although not everything works equally well. The sound production is a bit on the powerless and thin side, and although lead vocalist Mario Prünster is arguably a skilled vocalist his distinct sounding voice and theatrical delivery are sometimes a bit much on the ears (picture how Geddy Lee from Rush would sound like if he was crazy). So upon conclusion I´d put "Behind..." in the catagory of being more interesting than great, but I´d still recommend giving the album a listen if you´re curious to find and hear progressive metal from the 90s, which is on the weirder and more unique side of the spectrum. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

MAYFAIR Behind...

Album · 1993 · Progressive Metal
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siLLy puPPy
Despite sounding like a brand name for some kind of kitchen appliance, MAYFAIR was actually amongst good company in the first wave of early 1990s progressive metal having formed in 1989 in the far western city of Frastanz, Austria situated directly next to the tiny micronation of Liechtenstein. This band released three albums in the 1990s with the first one being this debut titled BEHIND… After a long hiatus MAYFAIR returned in 2013 with “Schlage Mein Herz, Schlage” and then released another couple albums after that.

While the lineup has changed in its second coming, the early members included Mario "le Fate" Prünster (vocals), René (guitar), Mötle (bass) and Little (drums). Despite having been together for over three decades now, MAYFAIR still remains a mysterious and oddball band which sounded a bit different than anything that has existed ever since. The original 1993 release of BEHIND… featured six strong tracks that barely seeped past the 29-minute mark on the General Inquisitor label but has since been reissued in 2013 on the Pure Prog label with a bonus CD of unreleased tracks, various demos and alternate versions of the tracks.

While coming off as an eccentric style of progressive alternative metal with a hypnotic cyclical loop riffing style that reminds a little bit of Tool, MAYFAIR adds the exotic flair of exquisite ethnic percussive nuances with sophisticated drum rolls and varying percussive sounds as well as implementing what sounds like Euroopean folky melodic touches making it all sound quite unique. What really makes MAYFAIR stand out though has to be the dramatic vocal antics of lead singer Mario Prünster who has the flamboyant tendencies of Devil Doll but sounds a bit like a trippier Geddy Lee of Rush at times. What also comes to mind is the metal version of Gnidrolog at least in terms of the vocals and idiosyncratic unorthodoxies.

BEHIND… implements a very hypnotic atmospheric approach yet features strong bass grooves, grungy yet melodic guitar heft and a nice diverse palette of percussion. The compositions are fairly short for progressive metal with no tracks exceeding six minutes but the composiitons are a bit avant-garde in how they unfold. In some ways, MAYFAIR reminds me of an alternative version of the French band Ange as it comes across as somewhat theatrical yet carries an alternative metal heft in vein of Tool and similar 90s alt metal bands. Despite the influences MAYFAIR sounds utterly unique with plenty of creative mojo firing on all pistons. Not the heaviest or fastest metal you could experience but certainly one that carries mystique and subtle beauty.

MAYFAIR Schlage Mein Herz, Schlage

Album · 2013 · Progressive Metal
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Kev Rowland
The album title translates to “Beat my Heart, Beat”, and is the first new album in 15 years for this German outfit. Some of the songs are in English, and some in German, hence the German title. It has been really interesting to read some of the reviews of this album, as there are plenty of people out there who are calling this one of the finest albums of the year, and extremely happy that Mayfair are back on the scene again. But, there is a huge part of me who wonders if that emotional attachment has clouded their judgement as while this is an okay album it is never really anything more than that. There is a lot going on in terms of influences, with Rammstein, early Floyd, Radiohead and Porcupine Tree being just some of the more obvious. There re times when the music is direct, but for the most part it is dreamy and drifting, which is one of the issues I have with this as there just isn’t enough impact here. It is something that I have both listened to intently and have played in the background while doing other things, and take it from me in the latter it just disappears with no real impact.

At times it is extremely atmospheric, and is often dark, and there are even some riffs here and there, but for some reason this doesn’t come together and gell as it should.

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