Label: Frontiers Music Srl
Release date: June 12, 2020
Production: Paralydium
Album length: 45.41 min
Genre: Progressive Metal
Rating: 8.5/10
Paralydium are yet another Swedish band that swears by the old-school, by now practically cult formula of progressive metal in their musical craft, a formula that blew up in the early nineties on the wings of Dream Theater, with Symphony X, Vanden Plas and Angra following soon after.
In the new millennium, Vindictiv, Mind’s Eye, Circus Maximus and Seventh Wonder have kept (or are still keeping) that connection alive in the Scandinavian corner of Europe. But of that once-rich scene, only the strongest have stayed on the map: the established genre standard-bearers Dream Theater and Symhony X. Fates Warning are a different story. They started something that defined what it means to play progressive metal back when there was neither hide nor hair of Dream Theater and similar swots. That’s why they’re deliberately not cited alongside, since they radiate a substantially different artistic essence.
There’s nothing here you haven’t already heard and don’t already know. All that’s left to check is how skilled a bunch of composers Paralydium are. The approach feels kind of homey and familiar. Still, for fans of the genre, the album “Words Beyond” is hugely welcome, since fewer and fewer albums brewed from this kind of musical recipe come out these days. Given how metal has developed, with an invasion of new bands fusing progressiveness with the more extreme branches of the genre, and with the exceptional technical polish of the individual players in them, “Worlds Beyond” also sounds dated today and will appeal more to fans of a musically invasive approach in metal and melodic rock than to the more demanding musical gourmets.
The album has just the right chemistry. The production didn’t strip that studio vibe away, and that’s a good thing. The record holds on to the desired liveliness and the sense of a band that’s tight and in sync, one that put a heaping dose of commitment and drive into making this thing. Its members are excellent musicians. The songs are detailed and polished, peaking in incredibly catchy, singable choruses commanded by a great, piercing vocal. They’re backed by a brilliant dialogue between keyboards and guitars, and there’s no shortage of dynamite in the crossfire of traded solos. In short, the album brims with dynamics, sparkle and a hunger to deliver the best it can. In that, it’s convincing and worth all your attention.
Within the tried-and-true genre formula, the songs develop with plenty of variety. There are no dips or swings in quality between them. The quality is high and guarantees an excellent product that of course sails along the notes of the proven, tested musical recipe of its idols, but approaches it with fire and plenty of heart, which counts for a lot and outweighs the recycling. The album isn’t too long either, which is another plus.
“Worlds Beyond”, the debut album from Swedish progressive metallers Paralydium, is a bold manifesto from a young, ambitious band, marked by great chemistry between the building blocks of its sound, a polished focus and a collection of very good prog metal anthems that stay compact and ravenous throughout, immune to any potential ego-trip maneuvers. You won’t find any textbook-style note-slinging here that could sow discord in that artistic tightness.
Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Enter Paralydium
2. Within The Sphere
3. Synergy
4. Finding The Paragon
5. Crystal Of Infinity
6. Awakening
7. The Source
8. Into Divinity
9. Seeker Of The Light
Lineup:
Mikael Sehlin – vocals
John Berg – guitar
Mikael Blanc – keyboards
Jonathan Olsson – bass guitar
Georg Härnsten Egg – drums
