Rating: RRR
Label: Mausoleum 2014
Review by Rich Dillon
Switzerland’s Kirk has issued their
sophomore effort, Masquerade, more than a decade after the debut album. They originally formed in the late 90’s
resulting in a 2003 debut recording, The Final Dance, but losing the
drummer to health concerns forced them into hiatus. Self described as melodic heavy metal with
progressive influences, the songs are epic with big soaring vocals and many
tempo changes that just cause me to get lost as I listened to the lead track, “Devil’s Claw”. “Supersonic
Speed” was much along the same lines and I would imagine that Kirk would
appeal to those who are rabidly in the Dream Theater camp as opposed to someone
like me who pitches his tent on the fringe outskirts of that style. With that being said, the album takes a turn
and track #3, “Masquerade”, is an
awesome song, more straight forward with a great opening riff and catchy
chorus. “Eternity” screams of Queensryche at points throughout its 6:40
runtime, as does “Fight or Die”. “Nothing
Else But Lies” again showcases vocalist Thomi Rauch’s Geoff Tate (in his
younger days) like similarities and features another melodic vocal chorus. “Time”
leads us through to the slower paced beginnings of “Tragedy” and Masquerade
closes up nicely with the three pack of “Face
in the Crowd”, “The End of the
Universe” and “Fallen Angel”.
Strange for an album for me to dislike the
first two tracks, but persevere through the recording and end up loving the
rest! Top tracks “Masquerade”, “Nothing Else
But Lies” and “The End of the
Universe”.
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