• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

November 2024

• 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

[ More Music Reviews ]

Soulspell: Labyrinth of Truths

Melodic Heavy/Power Metal

4.0/5.0

Innerwound Recordings
www.myspace.com/soulspellmetalopera
www.soulspell.com
By Craig Hartranft,  10.04.2010

Brazilian drummer Heleno Vale brings his second installment of the Soulspell metal opera Labyrinth of Truths. With the international success of the first part, A Legacy of Honor, Vale received some important recognition and so some help from some significant metal players. Jon Oliva [Jon Oliva’s Pain, Savatage], Roland Grapow [Masterplan,Helloween], Zak Stevens [Circle II Circle, Savatage] and Germán Pascual [ex. Narnia] have come on board to offer their well-known talents. Following its debut Labyrinth of Truths continues its ambitious focus on strong melodic heavy and power metal. Using words like grand, epic or majestic are not wasted on Vale's project.

The story continues from the first part; it also is rather ambitious and somewhat complex. You can read more of the story on the Soulspell web site. Musically, Labyrinth of Truths can move through very heavy arrangements as on the title track or the closing A Secret Compartment. Blistering power metal erupts throughout, as in Dark Prince's Dawn, keeping the pace lively at times. Mostly, however, each song is a fine blend of different musical elements, including quite thrilling vocal performances, to make Labyrinth of Truths a significant platter of progressive power metal. To that end, there is a terrific amount of action going on here that will require giving the work several listens. With this appreciation, I found Labyrinth of Truths on the whole to be quite challenging and entertaining. Specifically, the songs Amon's Fountain (absolutely brilliant) and The Verve are the stand out pieces here.

With a cast of international stars to help him, drummer Heleno Vale has created another ambitious work of melodic heavy metal for Labyrinth of Truths, the second part of his metal opera Soulspell. Very recommended,

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

With a cast of international stars to help him, drummer Heleno Vale has created another ambitious work of melodic heavy metal for Labyrinth of Truths, the second part of his metal opera Soulspell.

Alphabetical Index

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]