LETHAL — Programmed (review)

LETHAL — Programmed album cover Album · 1990 · US Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Time Signature
Fire in your ears...

Genre: progressive power metal

"Programmed" is obviously inspired by Iron Maiden and other classic metal acts, but nonetheless semi-original teeming with catchy melodies, rhythms and proggy tidbits here and there, and I think that this release is comparable to the early releases by prog metal giants Fates Warning.

Just check out tracks like the epic sounding "Fire in your Skin" and the odd-metered "Programmed", "Arrival", and "Obscure the Sky", and the mighty "Killing Machine" (which is an original track and not a cover of Judas Priest's classic track).

"Another Day" is a "Parallels" era Fates Warning-like ballad which does not work as well as it could. The other ballad "Pray for Me" works much better.

Tom Mallicoat's operatic vocal style rivals that of even Jon Arch, and it suits the progressively inclined power metal on this release quite well. While the music certainly is very good, it is the vocal acrobatics that sends shivers down the listener's spine (it's essentially the vocals that carry tracks like "Plan of Peace", "What They've Done" but on the other hand, the vocal acrobatics are perhaps to much for "Another Day".

This is recommended to fans of early Fates Warning and power prog metal in general.
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Time Signature wrote:
more than 2 years ago
It's the vocals that blow me away, but I also think that it's a bit over the top sometimes.... but I really think that this is, all in all, a great power prog album (and the music's great, too, I should add).
J-Man wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I've been thinking about getting this album for a little while... you may have convinced me to finally go out and buy it ;-)
Time Signature wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Yeah, it certainly is a good album, I think. I bought it many many years abo when I was in London for the first time ever in 9th grade, so it's been around for some time in my sphere of existence.
UMUR wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Good review. I really enjoy this album too. I´ve known about the album for many years but it was not until recently that I gave it a shot...all those wasted years :-(

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