ZERO HOUR - METAMORPHOSIS
Sensory - 2003
By Rodrigo Escandon
No, this is not the long awaited and new release by Zero Hour, instead its a re-release of their debut album with 2 extra tracks, Rebirth and A Passage, as well as 2 demos tracks, Eyes of Denial and Jaded Eyes, that were not included in the original release and with totally new artwork done by Travis Smith. If you ask me, having more music by Zero Hour is not a bad thing and this is the perfect chance for those that were blown away by The Towers of Avarice to listen to how the band started.
The main difference between the two releases is there are more keyboards used in Metamorphosis but the same intricate and unorthodox drumming of Mike is present, as is Troys punchy bass and Jasons excellent guitar work and each instrument sounds crystal clear thanks to a great production. Finally, Eriks singing was just as emotional and powerful at the beginning as it is now.
The technicality and talent of the band is truly impressive considering that this is their first release and already they sounded like seasoned veterans and most importantly the do not lose the focus of the importance of the song. So many prog bands that play very technical seem to lose sight of that aspect and they sound like musicians just trying their hardest to play their instruments as intricately as possible. Zero Hour do not do that. They play technical, there are plenty of tempo changes and odd signatures but the songs flow smoothly and not like the jigsaw puzzles that some other bands call songs.
The standout tracks are the epic Metamorphosis, which really sounds like a preview of what we heard with the epic Demise and Vestige off The Towers of Avarice, Voice of Reason, that takes you through various emotions and tempos as at times it sounds heavy and other times very soft, and Eyes of Denial with its chugging bass line and powerful drumming driving the song.
Even though this is an older release, it still sounds as fresh as it did when it was first released and in a year where quality prog releases have been sorely lacking, Metamorphosis clearly stands out from the rest. I do not know if that is a sad reflection of the other bands out there or just how ahead of their time and how great Zero Hour are.
Sensory Website
Zero Hour Official Website
Sensory - 2003
By Rodrigo Escandon
No, this is not the long awaited and new release by Zero Hour, instead its a re-release of their debut album with 2 extra tracks, Rebirth and A Passage, as well as 2 demos tracks, Eyes of Denial and Jaded Eyes, that were not included in the original release and with totally new artwork done by Travis Smith. If you ask me, having more music by Zero Hour is not a bad thing and this is the perfect chance for those that were blown away by The Towers of Avarice to listen to how the band started.
The main difference between the two releases is there are more keyboards used in Metamorphosis but the same intricate and unorthodox drumming of Mike is present, as is Troys punchy bass and Jasons excellent guitar work and each instrument sounds crystal clear thanks to a great production. Finally, Eriks singing was just as emotional and powerful at the beginning as it is now.
The technicality and talent of the band is truly impressive considering that this is their first release and already they sounded like seasoned veterans and most importantly the do not lose the focus of the importance of the song. So many prog bands that play very technical seem to lose sight of that aspect and they sound like musicians just trying their hardest to play their instruments as intricately as possible. Zero Hour do not do that. They play technical, there are plenty of tempo changes and odd signatures but the songs flow smoothly and not like the jigsaw puzzles that some other bands call songs.
The standout tracks are the epic Metamorphosis, which really sounds like a preview of what we heard with the epic Demise and Vestige off The Towers of Avarice, Voice of Reason, that takes you through various emotions and tempos as at times it sounds heavy and other times very soft, and Eyes of Denial with its chugging bass line and powerful drumming driving the song.
Even though this is an older release, it still sounds as fresh as it did when it was first released and in a year where quality prog releases have been sorely lacking, Metamorphosis clearly stands out from the rest. I do not know if that is a sad reflection of the other bands out there or just how ahead of their time and how great Zero Hour are.
Sensory Website
Zero Hour Official Website
