HALCYON WAY – Bloody But Unbowed

Atlanta’s Halcyon Way admits to difficulty categorizing their sound.  It is inspired from a range of Metal bands such as Megadeth, Dream Theater, Testament and Chimaira. The band predicts their fifth full-length album since 2008 will appeal to fans of Power Metal, Thrash Metal, Progressive Metal, and Hard Rock.

The deceptive intro track “Deevolutionize” creates tension similar to tracks on Queensrÿche’s Operation Mindcrime by using melodic riffs, brooding keyboard fills and repeated choruses.  This well-crafted Progressive soundscape is left strangely disconnected from the remainder of the album. Subsequent tracks like the hard hitting title track are a Modern Metal cocktail of clean lead and harmonizing vocals, mid-range growls, complex percussion, aggressive riffs with pinch harmonics and include a historical speech excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.  Their genre melding song craft continues with “Blame” delivered at breakneck speed and channeling Dave Draiman’s vocals from “Down With The Sickness”.

Techno tones herald a decrease in pace and provide context for an indictment of technology within the menacing riffs of “Slaves To Silicon”; though the listener might long for more pronounced riffs which are buried under the vocal and percussion mix.  With the bar set high from these impressive opening tracks, the remaining tracks struggle to stand out.  The musicianship and progressive elements are high but there is little variance in their application. The similarities between songs become fatiguing.

As predicted, Bloody But Unbowed does appeal to a wide range of Heavy Metal fans.  It’s a genre blending mix of Modern Metal creating a distinctive sound with diminishing returns due to its overuse. The highlights are definitely worth a listen.

TUNE INTO METALEXPRESSRADIO.COM at NOON & MIDNIGHT (EST) / 6:00 & 18:00 (CET) TO HEAR THE BEST TRACKS FROM THIS UPCOMING RELEASE!!!

TRACKLIST (Highlights: 2, 3, 4)

1. Deevolutionize
2. Bloody But Unbowed
3. Blame
4. Slaves To Silicon
5. Superpredator
6. Primal Scream
7. Ten Thousand Ways
8. The Church Of Me
9. Cast Another Stone
10. Crowned In Violence
11. Burning The Summit
12. Desolate

LINEUP

Steve Braun – Vocals
Jon Bodan – Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals, Death Vocals
Max Eve – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Skyler Moore – Bass Guitar, Death Vocals
Aaron Baumoel – Drums