New Music Review : Helreidh - Fragmenta : CD Album Review : Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Power Metal, Progressive Rock Metal : Dangerdog Music 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

[ More Music Reviews ]

Helreidh: Fragmenta

Progressive Rock/Metal

4.0/5.0

Facebook Twitter
Pure Prog Records
by Craig Hartranft, 11.01.2012

Helreidh is an obscure progressive metal band from Italy which hasn't had a new recording since 1999. Now resurrected and signed to Germany Pure Prog Records, the band releases their third album, Fragmenta.

Helreidh: creative model positioning.

Founding members Yorick (g) and Luca Roggi (d) are joined by Max Bastasi (v), Aligi Pasqualetto (k), and Francesco De Paoli (b) for this recording of songs that come from early band material, ideas from other projects, and current compositions. Hence, the name Fragmenta.

The music within is a good cross section of traditional progressive rock and metal. You'll hear echoes from Savatage to Kamelot, with an undercurrent, at times, of power metal and a feeling of melancholy emotions (as on Exile or Shades of My Untimely Autumn). The musicianship is solid with strong performances of traditional metal guitar by Yorick throughout, but also some fine bass lines from De Paoli, as on Ex Visionibus.

Perhaps the most interesting performances come on the more sublime songs. Shades of My Untimely Autumn and Congedum, the closing piece, offer delightful acoustic guitar and bright piano. Orfeo's Lament, another melancholy piece, finds Bastasi's both floating and soaring over piano, symphonic keyboards, and a subdued but impressive solo. It's the best song here.

Fragmenta is a strong return to form for Helreidh and, hopefully, promises more progressive metal to come (rather than another 13 year hiatus). Recommended.

CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

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