PYRAMAZE — Contingent (review)

Album · 2017 · Progressive Metal

3.5/5 · 2017-03-08
adg211288

Danish power metal act Pyramaze haven't exactly had the most smooth of careers. Things started pretty well for them with American vocalist Lance King fronting the band, producing the albums Melancholy Beast (2004) and Legend of the Bone Carver (2006) but then King was fired and a new singer had to be found. Pyramaze seemed to get their big break at this point as they managed to recruit none other than the former Iced Earth vocalist Matt Barlow for their third album Immortal (2008). But it was only a few months later that Barlow was in turn persuaded to re-join his former band (which ultimately didn't last either) and he left Pyramaze. Urban breed was then introduced as the band's new lead singer, but no new album appeared. Then founding guitarist and main writer Michael Kammeyer left the band in 2011. It could have been the end for Pyramaze then, but the band brought in the prolific Jacob Hansen, who had produced the band's first two albums, to fill the dual role of guitarist and bassist. Even then, they didn't make a hasty comeback. When they did it was with another new lead singer, Terje Harøy (Teodor Tuff) and the album Disciples of the Sun (2015). The same line-up now returns with the band's fifth album Contingent (2017). I had expected the band to have perhaps recruited a full time bassist by this point, but Jacob Hansen is still filling both roles.

Disciples of the Sun proved a great comeback album for Pyramaze, showing off a strong power metal sound with leanings into progressive and symphonic metal also present. Unexpectedly, even though they've always had a bit of a progressive slant to their music, Contingent finds the band reinventing themselves slightly to focus more on a progressive metal based sound. They still use bursts of the speedy power metal riffs on several songs on the album but it's no longer a dominating force within their music. The symphonic elements of the last album are still present though. The songs tend to be around the four to six minute mark though; this isn't the kind of progressive metal album that sees the band going all out to deliver a more lengthy epic around or beyond the ten minute barrier. In a sense the structure of the album is still more like a power metal album, exception for the most part the fast riffs aren't there any more, instead serving up something more mid-paced. It's progressive metal without being too flashy.

If the kind of sound the band have on the album seems very familiar it's because this particular arrangement of elements has become quite common within the current progressive metal scene. So called melodic progressive metal, Pyramaze do show themselves to be quite adept at it (they are a group of seasoned musicians so that's to be expected), but I can't say that Contingent does enough to convince me that the shift towards progressive metal was the right move for the band. They were an excellent power metal band. They're simply a decent progressive metal band based on this album. Some of the more note-worthy songs to my ears are Land of Information, Kingdom of Solace, and 20 Second Century, but after the halfway point is passed it does seem as if the album loses a bit of its steam.

Progressive and power metal may crossover a lot but the genres are actually quite different in principle and in many ways Contingent comes across as a power metal album dressed up as prog. I find that to be the case with a lot of these so called melodic progressive metal acts though rather it being a specific issue with this album, which I think goes a long way to explain why this album seems a lot less interesting than the band's prior power metal work, which is a genre that is by design tailored toward catchier, memorable tracks. With progressive metal I tend to look for complex, epic musicianship more than anything and while Pyramaze are definitely a talented bunch of guys that are skilled at their instruments, there's nothing on this particular album that really grabs me as exceptional. I do like the album, but instead of leaving me satisfied I instead find myself hoping that if the new progressive metal sound is here to stay that this is just them finding their feet with it, and that the next album will dispel any lingering doubts over it.