An album designed by Power Metal right down to its foundations. UK based guitarist/music producer FRASER EDWARDS is back with his second album The Architect. He is also known for playing guitar for British Power Metal band ASCENSION as well as rising Swedish Melodic Metal band METALITE. With a very successful debut album I Am God under him back in 2016, prepare yourself for a construction of high power from the start.
The Architect is the title of this album and the intro track. It delivers a blistering onslaught of Power Metal guitar riffs infused with the ever present feeling of Fraser’s intricate melodies from the word go.
Stop Saying We Sound Like Dragonforce is officially the first song off the album to feature vocals. Richard Carnie delivers one of the surprises on the album for me by having really high Power Metal vocals similar to DRAGONFORCE’s Marc Hudson since not many can hold such a high note throughout a song. With lyrics such as “Stop saying we sound like Dragonforce okay. They used to be my favourite band. All my life I dreamed that I could write a song as catchy too.” not only makes it one of many catchy songs from the album but also demonstrates the impact & influence of one band to another.
Warzone delivers a feeling of exactly that, a warzone. Since throughout this track you can hear a furious combination of Fraser’s guitar riffs and solos along with Andrew Scott’s fierce drum skills.
The Power Metal and Melodic Metal feel runs fluently throughout the main core of this album on its other fantastic tracks The Death Zone, Ruination, Dio Volendo Lo Faro, Among The Stars and This World Can Be Ours.
The main part of the album winds down with two contrasting instrumentals. The first in Sorrow Of The Loneliest Dragon starts off with a steady keyboard melody that transitions onto a smooth mix of guitars and drums. This gives the initial feeling that the album is nearing its end.
However, the second instrumental Crouching Comrades, Hidden Dragonforce picks up very quickly with a brilliant Melodic and oriental feel. Fraser Edwards & Andrew Scott puts together to end the main part very nicely in this track.
There are also a couple of bonus tracks on this album too. The first track On My Own, despite its mix of opening piano/keyboard solo and its fast tempo, this is actually a song with elements of love tinged with loss especially with lines such as “Without her, I feel her arms around me. And when I lose my way and close my eyes and she has found me.”
The final track on this album is a cover of Elton John’s Your Song. This is an interesting cover as it takes the classic and brilliantly gears it for a metal audience. Richard tones down his high vocals so they sound quite similar to Elton’s, so vocally it doesn’t stray far from the original.
If you are a fan of bands such as DRAGONFORCE or VICTORIUS, then I would definitely recommend this album.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Stefan Chilvers
The Architect will be released tomorrow.
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