Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Redemption
Label: Inside Out Records
Released: 2011
Length: 71:55
Rating: 3.5/5
The new Redemption album has all the core ingredients of the band’s earlier records, the ones these American progressive metal heavyweights have always used to spoil their loyal fanbase. So true fans of the band won’t have to think twice about whether to get “This Mortal Coil” or not. The answer is, in any case: “Yes!”
The general takeaway from listening to this album is that Redemption have toned down the arrangements a little, which makes “This Mortal Coil” the band’s most accessible record to date. And of course it’s still “mortally” loaded with the kind of complexity that makes your knees wobble and your jaw hit the floor!
So. “This Mortal Coil” keeps the trademarks of earlier Redemption work while also showing the maturing of the crew behind it, with songs that have more melodic tightness than ever. That’s helped above all by the strong impression left by the vocal contribution of Fates Warning singer Ray Alder.
The sextet of exceptionally gifted musicians keeps up its aggressive approach to progressive metal, which of course comes from their roots in the old-school extreme metal fury of Agent Steel, Steel Prophet and Fates Warning, while adding that touch of “progressiveness” that distills the legacy of Fates Warning (the development of lead melodies), Dream Theater (especially the dizzying guitar solos and some venomously twisted drum fills), and Symphony X’s 2007-2011 era (the production of “thrashed-up” guitar phrases). The closing track Departure Of The Pale Horse, in particular, shows off through the development of its complex structure how effectively these elements coexist, bringing to life some musical parallels with the bands named above. The moods Adler creates with certain melodic choices in his vocal lines naturally veer into Fates Warning territory, but it’s also interesting that now and then they evoke the melodic feel of Enchant – yet another bunch of prog metal greats who, sadly, called it quits far too early because of a lack of interest in their music.
With Redemption you don’t have to worry about cheap, saccharine slip-ups à la James LaBrie (since we’re already mentioning Dream Theater in this review), because Ray Alder with his charismatic vocal approach reinforces that necessary dark component, which really made its way into Redemption’s music via the legacy of Fates Warning, and from there the natural link to the legacy of American speed metal bands of the first half of the eighties follows. That’s perfectly logical, and in Redemption’s case perfectly natural, also because both guitarists come from exactly that kind of speed metal background (Agent Steel, Steel Prophet).
There’s a solid 71 minutes of music here and believe me, it doesn’t bore for a second. A musical feast like this, given the band’s genre, naturally demands more attention from the listener, so this album too will only get under your skin after a few spins in the CD player. Redemption’s music simply demands that from you!
On top of all that, “This Mortal Coil” feels tighter than the band’s previous studio releases, and it’s also a guarantee of classic prog metal rocketing from every angle, which (in the opinion of the most hardcore prog metal devotees) takes your breath away with its dizzying solo acrobatics and runs right on the rails of the strongest bands on the planet. Especially when it comes to flexing muscle and speed (Dream Theater), without sacrificing the red thread and the dynamic flow of events on the album. With “This Mortal Coil,” Redemption don’t reinvent anything musically that we haven’t heard before. This is an album with which the band cements its position on the global prog metal map, keeps its recognizable character of musical art charisma, and at the same time shows expressive maturing, highlighted above all by greater care for tightness and the under-the-skin catchiness of the lead motifs, so Redemption gain in melodic polish (with one of the album’s best choruses in the song Let It Rain), which successfully showcases the special qualities of Alder’s vocals at those points too. The new record, on which progressive articulation and complexity bow just a little to the need for melodic tightness in the lead motifs, is thus done with true and expected Redemption excellence!
Lineup
Ray Alder – vocals
Nick Van Dyk – guitar, keyboards
Bernie Versailles – guitar
Greg Hosharian – keyboards
Sean Andrews – bass guitar
Chris Quirarte – drums
Production
Neil Kernon & Redemption
Tracklist
1. Path of the Whirlwind (5:26)
2. Blink of An Eye (5:57)
3. No Tickets to the Funeral (6:26)
4. Dreams From the Pit (9:11)
5. Noonday Devil (5:03)
6. Let It Rain (7:21)
7. Focus (5:43)
8. Perfect (4:48)
9. Begin Again (6:11)
10. Stronger Than Death (5:29)
11. Departure of the Pale Horse (10:15)
