SPEAKING TO STONES

Progressive Metal • United States
MetalMusicArchives.com — the ultimate metal music online community, from the creators of progarchives.com
SPEAKING TO STONES picture
Speaking To Stones are a progressive metal band from New York, USA who formed in 2004.

They incorporate influences from bands such as Dream Theater, Rush and Kings X to name but a few.

After the release of Speaking to Stones’ 2006 self-titled debut, guitarist Tony Vinci began work on a more progressive project that called for a new group of musicians. Speaking to Stones’ current line-up includes Andy Engberg (Section A) on vocals, Mark Zonder (Fates Warning, Slavior) on drums, Greg Putnam (Jam Pain Society) on bass and stick, and Anthony Brown (Graphite Symphony) on keyboards.

Edited by Colt 14.10.2012

Thanks to colt for the addition

SPEAKING TO STONES Online Videos

See all SPEAKING TO STONES videos

Buy SPEAKING TO STONES music

More places to buy metal & SPEAKING TO STONES music

SPEAKING TO STONES Discography

SPEAKING TO STONES albums / top albums

SPEAKING TO STONES Speaking To Stones album cover 4.12 | 4 ratings
Speaking To Stones
Progressive Metal 2006
SPEAKING TO STONES Elements album cover 4.57 | 5 ratings
Elements
Progressive Metal 2012

SPEAKING TO STONES EPs & splits

SPEAKING TO STONES live albums

SPEAKING TO STONES demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

SPEAKING TO STONES re-issues & compilations

SPEAKING TO STONES singles (0)

SPEAKING TO STONES movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

SPEAKING TO STONES Reviews

SPEAKING TO STONES Elements

Album · 2012 · Progressive Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Time Signature
Earth, wind and fire...

Genre: progressive metal

At its worst progressive metal tends to be mindless ripping off of Dream Theater's iconic sound. At it's best, progressive metal is challenging, theatrical, epic, exploratory, genre-transcending and original. Although obviously inspired by the likes of Dream Theater, Speaking to Stone's "Elements"-album falls under the latter category.

With song lengths ranging from nine to fiftee minues, Speaking to Stones are a band who take their time in building up their songs, and they do not shy away from longer instrumental intros as in 'Wind'. With such long songs, Speaking to Stones have plenty of room for inserting a lot of different passages and sections into each song, which results in dynamic song structures. Even the epic power ballad 'Water' is kept interesting all the way through, and 'Earth' is like four different songs in one. The final track 'Quinta Essentia' is an epic track with a slight exotic feel and symphonic elements popping up side by side with both ballady and heavy passages.

The songs are generally based on relatively heavy guitar riffs accompanied by spacey, and at times symphonic keyboards, and a nice audible bass, played by Greg Putnam, that combines the edge of Steve Harris' energetic playing and the sophistication of Steve DiGiorgio's style. As mentioned the structures are dynamic and complex, interchanging between heavy metallic parts and quieter (sometimes acoustic) passages. While the musicianship is definitely very advanced (Mark Zonder has given a helping hand on the drums which is definitely preferable to programmed drums) and Speaking to Stones play music, which not everyone could pull off, things never get so technically advanced that even casual listeners cannot keep up. There are odd time signatures and the songs are, of course, long, so mindless followers of today's pop music scene will not be able to understand this music, but any independently thinking individual should definitely be able to follow and enjoy this album. Of course, the guitar leads are virtuosic, but they tend to - unlike some other prog metal bands - actually fit the overall music very well and do not come of as mere ego flashing.

While paying homage to the giants of progressive metal, Speaking to Stones have still produced a quite original and very enjoyable progressive metal album which is both focused and varied. "Elements" is recommended to any fan progressive metal.

SPEAKING TO STONES Movies Reviews

No SPEAKING TO STONES movie reviews posted yet.

SPEAKING TO STONES Shouts

Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us