IVORY TOWER – Stronger

Stronger is the fifth release from German Metal band Ivory Tower, and the first to feature new vocalist Dirk Meyer. This latest effort contains 12 songs and clocks in at over an hour and 15 minutes, so if you like it, you get a lot for your money, and if you don’t it, it lasts a very long time. The songs are repetitive, and try to be very dramatic, sometimes successfully, and sometimes they come up short. The guitar tone is fizzy, and would have benefited from less gain.

The band seems awfully proud of their guitar work, with several intros, long guitar solos, and even an instrumental track that showcase some very lackluster playing. The record kicks off with “The Offer”, and several times in that track, the vocals seem shaky on pitch, even though Meyer’s voice seems strong and robust. The rhythm section is tight and on point, but the excessive distortion on the guitar gives the overall production a loud and abrasive quality. The solo in the opening track starts with a wah pedal, and the listener can still hear the struggle to bend and vibrato on pitch. “Flight Of The Dragon” is an acoustic instrumental song that goes absolutely nowhere and provides nothing exceptional whatsoever.

Stronger is ok at best, with its overall score suffering for its lackluster guitar work. Fans of Ivory Tower will want to listen and see if they approve of this latest offering, and metal fans may want to check it out.