Olympos Mons Conquistador
Limb Music Products October 11th, 2004
By Jason Jordan
First of all, why is there a futuristic, astronaut conquistador on the cover? And, what the hell is going on in the cover art anyway? Oh well, forget I asked. In what is essentially the first full-length in this days power metal review session, Olympos Mons have botched an attempt at overwhelming competence, but they havent written themselves off just yet.
Seven Seas is a happy tune that features atypical instrumentation, which could feasibly be the product of an adept synthesizer. Stars, at the 0:45 minute mark, uses a distinct Dream Theater riff and rhythm. The Last Light of the Moon is next, and confidence radiates off the spiraling guitar leads, double-bass thunderclaps, and strategically placed keyboards. The guitar tones, though, are pervaded by an abundant amount of static, which lowers the enjoyment factor. The 2:20 minute mark will grab you and hold on as the vocalist reaches his highest range. Wanted Man begins frantically, and is juxtaposed with the organ-laced introduction to Black. Through the Ice and Snow is tinged with a Renaissance feel, Black Desiree, and Cleopatra chase. The Princess of Saba conjures images of Symphony X, circa V (Egypt to be precise). Lady in White, however, is overtly lofty and emits some of the best things weve heard from Olympos Mons yet. The title track Conquistador at a whopping eleven minutes eclipses everything in length, and subsequently ends the record.
As I iterated previously, Conquistador is by no means a fantastic release thatll leave you spellbound. Look for Olympos Mons in a couple years and you may hear a very different band. Hopefully, theyll have improved significantly; they show both promise and drive.
7/10
Official Olympos Mons website
Official Limb Music Products website
Limb Music Products October 11th, 2004
By Jason Jordan
First of all, why is there a futuristic, astronaut conquistador on the cover? And, what the hell is going on in the cover art anyway? Oh well, forget I asked. In what is essentially the first full-length in this days power metal review session, Olympos Mons have botched an attempt at overwhelming competence, but they havent written themselves off just yet.
Seven Seas is a happy tune that features atypical instrumentation, which could feasibly be the product of an adept synthesizer. Stars, at the 0:45 minute mark, uses a distinct Dream Theater riff and rhythm. The Last Light of the Moon is next, and confidence radiates off the spiraling guitar leads, double-bass thunderclaps, and strategically placed keyboards. The guitar tones, though, are pervaded by an abundant amount of static, which lowers the enjoyment factor. The 2:20 minute mark will grab you and hold on as the vocalist reaches his highest range. Wanted Man begins frantically, and is juxtaposed with the organ-laced introduction to Black. Through the Ice and Snow is tinged with a Renaissance feel, Black Desiree, and Cleopatra chase. The Princess of Saba conjures images of Symphony X, circa V (Egypt to be precise). Lady in White, however, is overtly lofty and emits some of the best things weve heard from Olympos Mons yet. The title track Conquistador at a whopping eleven minutes eclipses everything in length, and subsequently ends the record.
As I iterated previously, Conquistador is by no means a fantastic release thatll leave you spellbound. Look for Olympos Mons in a couple years and you may hear a very different band. Hopefully, theyll have improved significantly; they show both promise and drive.
7/10
Official Olympos Mons website
Official Limb Music Products website
