Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2024 Craig S Hartranft :: All Rights Reserved
No part of this this website, including design and music reviews,
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
- New Music Reviews
- |
- Archives
- |
- News
- |
- Submissions
- |
- About
- |
- |
New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
December 2024
- After Lapse: Pathways
- Illusion Force: Halfana
- Powell-Payne: Voilá
November 2024
- Sunstorm: Restless Fight
- Storace: Crossfire
- Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
- Lionville: Supernatural
- Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
- Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
- Lonerider: Down In The Dust
- Seventh Crystal: Entity
- Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
- Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
- Impellitteri: War Machine
- Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter
October 2024
- Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
- DGM: Endless
- Daytona: Garder la Flamme
- Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
- Frost*: Life In The Wires
- Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
- Fans Of The Dark: Video
- Radioactive: Reset
- House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
- Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire
September 2024
- Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
- Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
- Eclipse: Megalomanium II
- SteelCity: Reverence
- Hydra: ReHydrated
- Heartwind: III
- Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
- Find Me: Nightbound
- The Nail: The Nail
- Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
- Stryper: When We Were Kings
- Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
- Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
- Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly
August 2024
- Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
- Paralydium: Universe Calls
- Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
- Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
- All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
- Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
- Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2
Neverland: Ophidia
Neverland: Ophidia
Symphonic/Power/Progressive Metal
Rating: 4.0/5.0
AFM Records
www.myspace.com/neverlandofficial
www.in-neverland.com
Review: Craig Hartranft, 05.31.2010
Neverland, the collaboration between Turkish progressive metal band Dreamtone and Greek singer Iris Mavraki, returns with their sophomore project, Ophidia. Picking up from their 2008 debut Reversing Time, Neverland keeps the punch of power metal and the sophistication of progressive metal over lush symphonic arrangements. However, there's a noticeable drift to include more catchy, hook-laden, arrangements on many songs, including This Voice Inside, Ophidia, Invisible War, and Speak to Me, by example. Yet, even with this emphasis, Neverland still commands with their epic, often bombastic, presentation, some favoring heavy riffs and ambitious keyboards as on Ashes to Fall. Again, Neverland enlists some heavyweight guest players, adding depth to the production, including Jon Oliva (Savatage, Jon Oliva´s Pain), Angra/Almah singer Edu Falschi and Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose, Bloodbound).
In the end, Ophidia is a solid, and similar effort, to previous material, and to be expected from Neverland. Does it eclipse or transcend the former? I'm not sure, as only a few songs really grabbed me, only Ophidia and then from Ashes to Fall to the end. My EPK did not include the two bonus tracks The Forests of Hope and Dying Threads. Nevertheless, I can still recommend Neverland's Ophidia.
Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.
In Short
In the end, Ophidia is a solid, and similar effort, to previous material, and to be expected from Neverland.
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
New & Notable
The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]