A Manifesto For Domination (Halcyon Way)

Based out in Atlanta, Georgia, Halcyon Way plays a unique style of metal that is difficult to specifically pinpoint. They use the technical playing of progressive metal, accessible song structures in the vein of classic metal, and a dark atmosphere that gives the song an almost gothic touch. Also worth noting is vocalist Sean Shields, a pretty skilled chameleon capable of going from a gruff Hetfield-esque snarl to a Tim Owens wail in no time flat.

Intro: Like most intros, this one opens the album with a bit of atmosphere before the musical carnage kicks in. It features some unusual vocal melodies, neat keyboards, and a nice series of spoken segments. Not too much to say other than that. . .
7 out of 10

A Manifesto Of Domination: Now we come to the album's first true song as a chugging mid-tempo riff and pounding drums open this song's brief introduction, the verses continue more subtle guitar trade-offs and Shields doing a strong Hetfield impersonation, the chorus brings in more melodic riffs and soaring vocals, the solo section features more prominent bass playing and sweet twin guitar harmonies, and the bridge brings more aggressive vocals before going into the final chorus. A pretty solid title track.
8 out of 10

Blind Eyes to the Sky: Some cool melodic/crunchy guitar trade-offs open this song's introduction smoothly, the verses and pre-choruses place more prominence on an upbeat rhythm and a variety of voices, the chorus is another melodic refrain and one of my favorites on the album, the solo section offers another cool twin guitar attack, and I'm still debating whether the lyrics are meant to be introspective, political, or kinky ("Take all that belongs to me/Pin me to the wall, until I beg for mercy"). . .
9 out of 10

The Hidden: Gritty guitar chugs and strong drumming start this song off, the verses throw in some interestingly sequencing vocal lines, the pre-chorus throws in a mix of clean vocals and death metal growls courtesy of Blaze Pearson, the chorus is another melodic affair, and the bridge features a brief spoken bit before returning to more melodic territory and a particularly shredding solo. Another solid song.
8 out of 10

Disconnected: If you're not paying attention, it can be tough to tell when the previous track ends and this one begins. It suddenly comes in with a fairly melodic guitar chug during the introduction, the opening verse throws in some unusually distorted vocals, the following verses and pre-choruses bring in a vocal character that brings to mind the Layne Statley of Alice In Chains, and the chorus features some pretty catchy vocal trade-offs that lead into a particularly uplifting refrain. It takes a little more effort to get into but it sounds like it'd be a good track for radio play (You know, if that's still possible in this country. . .).
8 out of 10

Deliver the Suffering: Squeaky keyboards, a steady drum beat, and subtle guitars open this song's introduction before another driving mid-tempo chug makes its way into the piece; the verses continue in a style similar to that of the first two tracks with more demented vocals thrown in; the chorus is another melodic but catchy segment; the bridge features more neat guitar/vocal trade-offs; the final chorus features a brief return of the intro's keyboards; and the song closes out with some nicely ad-libbed vocal constrasts. A pretty good song.
8 out of 10

Powderburn: A particularly menacing set of guitar/keyboard riffs open this song in an aggressive fashion, the verses continue with almost condescending vocal/guitar trade-offs, the chorus briefly slows the song down and offers an almost doomy refrain, and the solo section continues in a doomy style with spooky keyboards, more hostile guitars, and a bit of melody in between. One of my personal favorites on the album.
9 out of 10

A Thousand Points of Night: Slithering bass/guitar harmonies open this song's introduction nicely, the verses alternates between the Layne impersonation and interestingly distorted backing vocals, the chorus is similar with another catchy refrain thrown in, the solo section starts off with more bass prominence before going into more twin guitar shredding, and the bridge features some solid layering before going into the final chorus.
8 out of 10

Communicate With the Violence: More sinister bass guitars, soulful vocalizing, and Dream Theater-esque keyboards open this song's introduction in a pretty unique fashion; the verses continue with melodic vocals and solid backing guitar chords, the chorus features some elaborate vocal layering and subtle growls by Pearson in the background, the bridge brings in angrier vocals with a fairly angsty tone, and the solo sectionsshow off some neat keyboard/guitar melodies.
8 out of 10

I Fought the World: Another one of my personal favorites on the album. It opens with commanding guitar harmonies during the introduction, the verses and pre-choruses continue in a building style similar to that of the previous track, the chorus brings the heavier chug back in with more soaring vocals thrown in, the solo section have their share of cool guitar parts, and the closing chorus includes some sweet Tim Owens-esque wails into the mix.
9 out of 10

The Lonely Road: Muscular DT-esque guitar chords and nice backing keyboards open this song in the usual fashion; the verses suddenly go into near ballad territory with more of soaring vocal melodies, nicely complementing accoustic guitars and a solid bass line beneath; the pre-chorus brings the heavier guitars back in; the chorus provides another excellent refrain; and the bridge throws in a particularly nice wail that leads into a chug heavy solo section.
8 out of 10

Physician, Heal Thyself: Dedicated to a James P. Scotts, Jr., this song closes the album out on a particularly dramatic note. The introduction opens the song with crashing guitars, prominent keyboards, and a single soaring vocal line; the verses continue with the cleanest vocal lines on the album with more heavy guitars in between; the pre-chorus brings in angrier vocal layering; the chorus brings some excellently delivered vocal trade-offs; the solo section includes more simple but sweet twin guitars; and the song fades away with a pleasant piano melody brings to mind the closing segment of Iced Earth's "Travel In Stygian". A good way to close the album.
8 out of 10

Overall, this album gets 98 out of 120, 82%, and 4 stars. It may take a few listens to really get a taste for, but Halcyon Way's first album is a strong debut that is worth checking out for almost any type of metal fan. I think the album's only flaw is the songs' tendency to sound similar to one another. One can only hope that they'll improve even more with the follow-up. . .

High 'n' Dry (Def Leppard)

Torn between the grit of "On Through The Night" and the more commercial aspects of "Pyromania" and "Hysteria", this 1981 effort may be the ultimate Def Leppard album. The hooks are excellently delivered, the production has become a little more polished, and the band's performance is a little more melodic than before. The album is also noteworthy for being the first to feature AC/DC producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange and the last to feature guitarist Pete Willis.

Let It Go: Gritty guitar harmonies and an upbeat drum beat open this song's introduction nicely, the verses place a more prominent bassline and catchy vocal lines with building guitars in the background, the chorus brings some infectious gang vocals, the solos section bring in some excellent leads thrown in, and the bridge brings in more melodic guitars and unusual vocal effects. A pretty awesome start.
9 out of 10

Another Hit And Run: This track comes off the opener with heavier guitar harmonies during the introduction, the verses suddenly bring in a style made memorable by more melodic guitar chugs and higher pitched vocals, the pre-chorus and the chorus bring in more cool vocal lines and nicely complementing backing vocals, and the solo section packs in some particularly strong Maiden-esque shredding. A solid song, though one of the weaker tracks on the album.
8 out of 10

High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night): A lone guitar opens this song with a solid melody before the rest of the band comes in, the verses continue at a solid mid-tempo and feature particularly prominent vocals, the pre-chorus is another builder, and the chorus brings in more infectious vocal trade-offs and heavier guitar playing. A pretty cool title track though somewhat overrated.
8 out of 10

Bringin' On The Heartbreak: Ironically, the band was reluctant to include this track due to its ballad nature. Fortunately, it is done in very good taste and features melodic guitars during the introduction, a spacy mid-tempo pace and soft croons during the verses, heavier guitars coming in during the pre-choruses, and the chorus features a explosive refrain. A little stereotypical in structure but it's not as bland as what they would later associate themselves with. In fact, it sounds like a heavier version of April Wine's "Just Between You And Me". . .
10 out of 10

Switch 625: As the ballad fades away, we go into this interesting instrumental. The song is made memorable by its chugging bass, upbeat drums, mysterious guitar riffs and solos, and excellently effective vocalizing towards the end. I suppose it's like a less melancholic version of Pink Floyd's "Great Gig In The Sky".
9 out of 10

You Got Me Runnin': Bright guitar riffs open this song's introduction in a way that reminds me of KISS's "King Of The Night Time World" with some backing bass, building drums, and solid vocal whoops; the verses continue at an upbeat pace with great vocals and muscular guitar playing, and the pre-chorus and chorus seem to write themselves with their excellent vocal lines. One of my favorite tracks on the album.
10 out of 10

Lady Strange: More upbeat guitars open this song with riffs that reminds me of Rush's "Limelight" in a way, the verses are performed in the vein of the song before it with higher pitched vocal lines, the chorus is another awesome chanter, and the solo section incorporates some gritty shredding. Another great highlight.
10 out of 10

On Through The Night: Perhaps a leftover from the previous album, this song comes in with faster guitars and steady drums during the introduction, more high pitched vocals thrown in during the verses, another great refrain during the chorus, and more cool shredding during the solo section. A pretty cool track.
8 out of 10

Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes): Now we come to one of the most unique tracks on the album and the song that made me interested in checking out this era of the band. The introduction brings some mystical guitar melodies and a mid-tempo rhythm in the background, the verses continue with solid vocal/guitar trade-offs thrown in, the chorus may be the most infectious on the album, and the final verse brings in a cool climax.
10 out of 10

No No No: Closing the album out is a track that reminds me of AC/DC's "Riff Raff". It features energetic guitars during the introduction, great vocal/guitar trade-offs during the verses with hard hitting drums underneath, and a decent refrain during the chorus. A pretty good closer, though not as catchy as it could be.
8 out of 10

Overall, this album gets 90 out of 100, 90%, and 4.5 stars. It's probably a little too lightweight for extreme metal die-hards, but this is a great album to check out for any fan of the bands that I associated them with or anyone that hates their more commercial era with a burning passion. There's no "Pour Some Sugar On Me" to be found. . .