┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Concerto Moon - Ouroboros + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Rls Date..2019-12-30 Encoder......LAME 64bits version ║ │ │║ Genre.....Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year......2019 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........12 ║ │ │║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │ │║ Url..http://www.concerto-moon.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Concerto Moon ║ │ │║ Album : Ouroboros ║ │ │║ Label : Walkure Records ║ │ │║ Cat.No : WLKR-040 ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Heavy Metal is assuredly a global phenomenon. Because of ║ │ │║ this, sometimes bands fall through the cracks despite being ║ │ │║ a dedicated fan for several decades. Such is the case ║ │ │║ personally for the subject of this review, CONCERTO MOON. ║ │ │║ Some twenty-three years ago, the band was formed by ║ │ │║ guitarist Norifumi Shima in Japan. In all that time, the ║ │ │║ band released a whopping fourteen previous full-lengths ║ │ │║ firmly establishing their legacy as they penned some raging ║ │ │║ classic Heavy Metal. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ CONCERTO MOON has been classified as Power Metal, but after ║ │ │║ diving deep into their material, this seems to be an ║ │ │║ unfortunate misnomer. Power Metal implies an omnipresent ║ │ │║ influence of bands like MANOWAR, HELLOWEEN, and RIOT. This ║ │ │║ could certainly be debated at length by Metal nerds like ║ │ │║ yours truly and many reading this, but CONCERTO MOON are ║ │ │║ devoid of any sign of the hammer and definitely do not hold ║ │ │║ the seven keys. Instead, the band has a sound strongly û ║ │ │║ immensely, in fact, shaped by a devotion to the early ║ │ │║ material of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN. While that legendÆs ║ │ │║ contribution to Heavy Metal in general helped influence ║ │ │║ that sub-genre, his music in and of itself is more properly ║ │ │║ classified as classic Heavy Metal or specifically, ║ │ │║ Neoclassical Heavy Metal. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ CONCERTO MOON is led by a prodigiously talented shredder as ║ │ │║ previously mentioned, one Norifumi Shima. The one constant ║ │ │║ member during the bandÆs lengthy career, Shima has taken ║ │ │║ the unleashed fury of YNGWIE (anyone else remember that ║ │ │║ video?!?) and molded the bandÆs sound around the BACH and ║ │ │║ PAGANINI-influenced style. YNGWIEÆs influence is so ║ │ │║ prominent, in fact, that there is also a profound summoning ║ │ │║ of Richie BlackmoreÆs classic work in DEEP PURPLE and ║ │ │║ RAINBOW as well. Without Blackmore (and JIMI HENDRIX as ║ │ │║ well), there would be no YNGWIE MALMSTEEN. The ║ │ │║ instrumentation found on ôOuroborosö also reflects this ║ │ │║ 1970s influence, particularly a strong shade of the great ║ │ │║ Jon Lord which can be heard with the extensive use of ║ │ │║ powerfully blaring Hammond organ sounds. One is taken back ║ │ │║ to the legendary formative years of the genre as the ║ │ │║ organ/keyboard often doubles ShimaÆs leads, expands the ║ │ │║ chordal ideas, and launches into its own thick legato ║ │ │║ flurry of expertly-placed notes. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ A closer look at ShimaÆs sound and style must be taken to ║ │ │║ give the band its proper credit. Propelled by an ║ │ │║ astonishingly organic tone, his is an honest sound. Cast ║ │ │║ aside are the racks upon racks of studio gear in favor of a ║ │ │║ no-frills sound of a guitar plugged straight into a ║ │ │║ Marshall stack. If there is extensive use of effects, then ║ │ │║ it is a truly convincing affair for the sound is ║ │ │║ transparent and clear. The tone is raw, thick with ║ │ │║ mid-range, a muscle-bound reflection of his blistering ║ │ │║ Heavy Metal. The man holds court throughout the record ║ │ │║ with tight control of his output. Every note counts as ║ │ │║ much as the next and the articulation is formidable. An ║ │ │║ excellent example of his fluidity would be his work ║ │ │║ throughout the seventh track, ôRun to the Skyö as well as ║ │ │║ ôFrom Father to Son,ö the track that follows, a personal ║ │ │║ favorite in which one can even hear a bit of Jake E. LeeÆs ║ │ │║ influence in the furious double-picking of the main riff. ║ │ │║ Between the fierce picking attack, supreme chord selection, ║ │ │║ and unbridled expressionistic soloing, Shima qualifies as a ║ │ │║ most legitimate guitar hero for the ages. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Throughout the album, the songwriting is strong. Do not be ║ │ │║ mistaken by thinking this is just another ║ │ │║ shredder-spotlight album. From the first track, ôChange My ║ │ │║ Heart,ö with its fist-pumping fury to the mid-paced ║ │ │║ Neoclassical ballad, ôHoly Child,ö the fourth track, there ║ │ │║ is a genuine dedicated priority given to quality ║ │ │║ songwriting. ôAlone in Paradise,ö the fifth track, ║ │ │║ features some devastating double bass, and is the one track ║ │ │║ that does indeed favor a shade of Power Metal. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The only weak link in the band is the singer. His vocals ║ │ │║ are certainly not nails on a chalkboard, but with such a ║ │ │║ criminally talented instrumental section, one would expect ║ │ │║ a lead singer that truly stands out. Simply put, he is ║ │ │║ more Graham Bonnet than Joe Lynn Turner. Overall, though, ║ │ │║ this is an excellent Heavy Metal record that checks off so ║ │ │║ very many essential boxes that one slightly weaker link ║ │ │║ does not seem to really matter. That disparity could also ║ │ │║ be chalked up to personal taste. Do not snooze on this ║ │ │║ album for it is a triumphant compendium of polished Heavy ║ │ │║ Metal glory! ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Lineup: ║ │ │║ Norifumi Shima û Guitar ║ │ │║ Shigeharu Nakayasu - Bass ║ │ │║ Atsushi Kawatsuka - Drums ║ │ │║ Ryo Miyake û Keyboards ║ │ │║ Watashi Haga û Vocals ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 1. Change My Heart 7:21 │ │ 2. Dream Chaser 4:52 │ │ 3. Surrender 5:27 │ │ 4. Holy Child 7:14 │ │ 5. Alone In Paradise 4:39 │ │ 6. Fight To The Death 5:58 │ │ 7. Run To The Sky 6:09 │ │ 8. From Father To Son 5:46 │ │ 9. Into The Fire 7:27 │ │ 10. It┤s Not Over 5:12 │ │ 11. Take You To The Moon 4:41 │ │ 12. Concerto Moon (Bonus Track) 5:29 │ │ │ │ │ │ Total Length : 01:10:15 │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘