┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Heir Apparent - The View From Below + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Rls Date..2020-03-21 Encoder......LAME 3.100 ║ │ │║ Genre.....Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year......2018 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........8 ║ │ │║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │ │║ Url..http://www.heirapparent.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Heir Apparent ║ │ │║ Album : The View From Below ║ │ │║ Label : No Remorse ║ │ │║ Cat.No : 0191924597179 ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Yeah, the reunion vogue is still running on full-throttleà ║ │ │║ the way it seems to me itÆs only Bangkok Procrastinators ║ │ │║ from the old-timers that havenÆt reformed yet... oh, and ║ │ │║ Chernobyl Radiators, of course. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ I was surprised to find out about the release of SeattleÆs ║ │ │║ non-grunge-finestÆs latest as new outings have been leaking ║ │ │║ so sporadically from their camp in the past 20 years that ║ │ │║ itÆs quite easy for one to completely forget about their ║ │ │║ existence although the band have been in a supposed active ║ │ │║ mode since 2000. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Well, the guys did get tempted, namely the bass player ║ │ │║ Derek Peace and the drummer Ray Schwartz, eventually by the ║ │ │║ fashionable grunge sound that originated from their ║ │ │║ hometown under the Dr. Unknown moniker, a project that ║ │ │║ appeared right after the first chapter from the Heir ║ │ │║ Apparent saga came to an end. A very short spell, with one ║ │ │║ demo and one EP release in 1993, it was an attempt at ║ │ │║ mixing the radio-friendly sound that already started ║ │ │║ showing its head on ôOne Small Voiceö with noisier Aline in ║ │ │║ Chains-like aesthetics, but this ôvoiceö was never given ║ │ │║ the chance to get bigger, definitely for the better. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ I clearly hear the fansÆ most pressing question: has said ║ │ │║ ôvoiceö gotten any bigger on this third instalment? Well, ║ │ │║ IÆll take a break now and will reply to it tomorrow in ║ │ │║ order to keep the suspense longerà kidding of course, here ║ │ │║ I am pleasing the crowd by saying that no, this new opus ║ │ │║ has not much to do with the bandÆs second showingà but it ║ │ │║ doesnÆt sound much closer to the great debut either. So ║ │ │║ what have our distinguished Seattle residents cooked this ║ │ │║ time around then? ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ This is a very atmospheric recording that is built ║ │ │║ by-and-large on anti-climactic balladic/semi-balladic, ║ │ │║ frankly doom-laden at times as well, layouts that would ║ │ │║ immediately bring to mind the Swedish progressive ║ │ │║ power/doom metallers Veni Domine, and the Australians Neue ║ │ │║ RegelÆs masterpiece ôIn a Wordö. In a word, this is an ║ │ │║ introspective, not very eventful listen which gets stirred ║ │ │║ but not really shaken by the two cuts that were already ║ │ │║ unleashed on a demo in 2003, ôSynthetic Liesö being an ║ │ │║ excellent dramatic power/doomster that nearly captures the ║ │ │║ spirit of the 90Æs Swedish movement (Veni Domine again, but ║ │ │║ also Memory Garden, Memento Mori, Fifth Reason, etc.) in ║ │ │║ its entirety. The other track ôSaviorö is a brisk vivid ║ │ │║ proto-speedster which winks at the 80Æs American ║ │ │║ power/speed metal scene, and remains the only one of its ║ │ │║ kind. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ IÆm almost willing to announce these two blasts from the ║ │ │║ past the highlights here, but there are other moments worth ║ │ │║ of interest on this hypnotic album which would still manage ║ │ │║ to lure the listener into its nearly meditative at times ║ │ │║ snare not without the help of the new singer Will Shaw ║ │ │║ whose emotional high-strung clean tenor is a perfect fit to ║ │ │║ the slow-burning musical setting. As the two mentioned ║ │ │║ numbers from the demo are placed in the middle, their more ║ │ │║ boisterous character can even be viewed some kind of a ║ │ │║ respite although the second half nicely comes alive with ║ │ │║ the Oriental doomy elegy ôThe Road to Palestineö and with ║ │ │║ the more contrived piece of dynamics ôInsomniaö which will ║ │ │║ easily wake up the audience with sweet memories of the ║ │ │║ debutÆs complex, steel-clad veneer. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ As a big fan of said debut I was expecting another, more or ║ │ │║ less ôgraceful inheritanceö, and the first two listens of ║ │ │║ the album reviewed here did nothing for me; in fact, I was ║ │ │║ initially ready to pronounce it a bigger upset than the ║ │ │║ sophomore evenà however, this small voice within compelled ║ │ │║ me to spend more time with it and lo and behold, its serene ║ │ │║ composed lustre started working its magic on me. The thing ║ │ │║ is that I always know when to stop before becoming fully ║ │ │║ bedazzled and start twisting my metallistic sobrietyà cause ║ │ │║ you canÆt overwrite one of the epitomes of US power metal ║ │ │║ regardless of how hypnotic and alluring you bend it this ║ │ │║ time around. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ I donÆt know, maybe my understanding of the obligatory ║ │ │║ ôback to the rootsö reunion stint has become obsolete now; ║ │ │║ the bands all have their visions about the development of ║ │ │║ these new chapters from their career, and repeating old ║ │ │║ glories, I guess, doesnÆt seem like the most viable option ║ │ │║ out there. And in this particular case at least we donÆt ║ │ │║ have too many reasons to complain about; cause, if you ║ │ │║ think of it, the addition of a third benevolent signature ║ │ │║ to an old legacy can only be a plus; it never overwrites ║ │ │║ the first two, but its presence by all means has its weight ║ │ │║ especially if the will falls into the right earsà sorry, ║ │ │║ hands. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 1. Man In The Sky 5:53 │ │ 2. The Door 5:50 │ │ 3. Here We Arent 5:41 │ │ 4. Synthetic Lies 4:52 │ │ 5. Savior 2:26 │ │ 6. Further And farther 7:00 │ │ 7. The Road To Palestine 7:20 │ │ 8. Insomnia 6:03 │ │ │ │ │ │ Total Length : 00:45:05 │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘