Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Redemption
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2009
Running time: 65:27
Rating: 4/5
Redemption are a supergroup, yet another prog metal Hercules, and out of all the attempts of this kind lately, they’ve probably come closest to capturing the spirit of old-school Dream Theater. The band is made up of seasoned players: singer Ray Alder, who fronts Fates Warning, Nicolas Van Dyk, who used to shred guitar for the American speed/power metallers Steel Prophet (“Dark Halluciantions”, 1999 is an absolute must for everyone!), and Agent Steel guitarist Bernie Versailles. The lesser-known names rounding out the lineup are keyboardist Greg Hosharian, bassist Sean Andrews and drummer Chris Quirarte.
These guys have three studio albums under their belts. The latest, “The Origins Of Ruin”, came out in 2007, and the band presented it that same year on a summer North American tour alongside the Canadian technical extreme prog metallers Into Eternity and the prog giants Dream Theater.
The material released as “Frozen In Moment – Live In Atlanta” is spread over two discs. The first is a DVD with the complete video (and audio, of course) recording of the band’s live set at the long-running ProgPower festival, which took place in Atlanta on October 5 and 6, 2007. It was the 8th ProgPower festival, and Redemption shared the bill with some interesting company (not necessarily prog), such as Virgin Steele, Primal Fear, Threshold, Communic, After Forever, Firewind, Pagan’s Mind and so on…
Over a solid 65 minutes, the band storm the stage like holy hell, going all in on power and speed, setting their own rules of the game with a clear celebration of “rawness” above all else, and staging a prog metal odyssey that all the die-hard Dream Theater and Symphony X fans in the sold-out hall were definitely happiest about. Those are the two bands that knock first on the door of your cerebral cortex while listening to Redemption. Redemption naturally draw the best from the old Dream Theater doctrine, meaning the Kevin Moore era, and mix in the highly melodic, pompous arrangements typical of Symphony X’s keyboard work. More than once the interplay of guitar riffs and keyboards runs hard into Symphony X standards, which is hardly surprising, since in the band’s early days none other than Michael Romeo (guitar, Symphony X) helped them arrange the music. Van Dyk and Versailles are a wonderfully tuned guitar duo, spitting out progressively dissected riffs laced with that resurrected old-school speed metal vibe, which, like a thin veil, draws a clear line between the aforementioned trio of Dream Theater, Symphony X and Redemption. Drummer Chris Quirarte is another reason Redemption get pulled toward Drema Theater, both for the drum tuning and for the style. The tom-tom rolling fills Chris shakes out of his sleeve will remind you throughout all nine songs of the “kindred” school of Mike Portnoy. Of course there’s no shortage of breathtaking duels between guitars and keyboards, while the six-string bass develops ultra-melodicity at the same time and fully follows the language of the prog metal maximum. Ray Alder’s vocals are ideal for this style. The experienced singer is an important factor holding the red thread together in songs with highly melodic verses and recognizable core motifs, which keep the prog expression from sliding into the treacherous territory of accidental self-fragmentation. That’s why Redemption aren’t hard on the ears. The sound is, of course, maxed out once again, with every building block clearly exposed in a perfect balance of coexistence. The weakest link is Alder himself, whose throaty, rough-edged power eases off slightly at the end of Fall On You.
The concert was shot with five cameras in total. You might miss more close-ups that would bring the guys on stage right up to you while they work, and the fact that the view from the right is favored over the view from the left doesn’t exactly do the guy who stitched this film together any favors. Keyboardist Greg Hosharian is mostly cropped out of the frame, even though his virtuoso soloing makes him very much worth watching. Criticism also goes to the band’s relative stiffness on stage and, as is classic for prog metal outfits, the fact that they just don’t know how to dress when they step onto a stage. Of course, they make up for all of it with lightning-fast playing that, hair-splittingly tight and with the extreme power of all six members, doesn’t let up for a second. You also have to take into account that the footage comes from a festival, so we’re doomed to the monotony of spinning spotlights and the same few shades of colored light. The picture, though, can boast extraordinary clarity and sharpness, which is certainly a very important factor when weighing the quality of this document.
As an extra on the DVD, Redemption also offer an interesting photo/video documentary “lying” on an excellent instrumental the band has never officially released before. The point of the documentary revolves around Redemption’s tour with Dream Theater. It’s put together from a juicy sequence of pictures and amateur film footage that will have your mouth curling into a mischievous smile all by itself. Perhaps the most interesting moment of this part of the DVD is when Mike Portnoy (drums, Dream Theater) brings a cake out on stage for birthday boy Nicolas Van Dyk, and instead of handing it over kindly with a congratulation, he shamelessly smears it all over his face in front of the entire hall. In short, the behind-the-scenes footage shows that these excellent musicians, marked by a winning mix of natural talent and technical know-how, are still just big, big (American) kids. For dessert, the DVD also includes a video for the song Bleed Me Dry.
The second disc is a CD! The whole live recording is on it, in exactly the same form as on the DVD. Sometimes it’s simply enough to put on your headphones and sail off into the world of stage chemistry that a band like Redemption develop, without the tasteless factor that lays everything out on a platter (the video picture). And there’s definitely no doubt that your damn “iPod” gadgets will happily sing along too.
If you’re a Redemption fan, you know all three studio albums, or you’re simply a prog metal enthusiast who has to absorb every fresh release in the genre, then know that this DVD/CD is an absolute must. Everyone else can start by exploring Dream Theater, who laid the foundations of prog metal. When it comes to musical discoveries, Redemption are basically nothing special. Luckily, there are very few bands like them on the planet today, so they’re worth your attention at any moment. “Frozen In Moment – Live In Atlanta” will be far from leaving you cold or indifferent.
Lineup
Ray Alder – vocals
Nick van Dyk – guitar, keyboards
Bernie Versailles – guitar
Greg Hosharian – keyboards
Sean Andrews – bass guitar
Chris Quirarte – drums
Production
Nick Van Dyk
Track list
DVD:
01. Threads
02. Bleed Me Dry
03. Nocturnal
04. Memory
05. The Suffocating Silence
06. Release
07. Fall On You
08. Sapphire
09. The Death of Faith & Reason
BONUS MATERIAL:
Bleed Me Dry – video
Photo tour diary – documentary
Behind the scenes – video
CD:
01. Threads
02. Bleed Me Dry
03. Nocturnal
04. Memory
05. The Suffocating Silence
06. Release
07. Fall On You
08. Sapphire
09. The Death of Faith & Reason
