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Adrian Benegas: The Revenant

Symphonic Melodic Power Metal

4.0/5.0

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Pride & Joy Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 13.11.2019 | Released: 15.11.2019

Adrian Benegas is a young Paraguayan composer and keyboard player known for his work with the bands Pergana, Abracadabra, and lately the collaborative project Tragul, which has released eight singles since 2017. Pressing on to a new challenge Benegas returns with his first solo album, The Revenant, where he developed the concept, wrote all the lyrics, and composed all the songs.

As for the concept, Benegas explains: it's the tale of an unredeemed soul's journey from the depths of its own hell to the edge of inner paradise, seeking self-realization. To bring his work to life, Benegas had the help of additonal guest vocalists and musicians including such luminaries as Ralf Scheepers, Henning Basse, and Alex Holzwarth. A complete list players follows this review.

Adrian Benegas

Benegas' musical canvas for his concept album is essentially symphonic and melodic heavy power metal. Obviously, being both a keyboard player and the principal songwriter, you will find all the songs having ambitious and bombastic synth orchestration, lingering piano melodies, and dramatice keyboard solos. Yet, along side this, you will also hear dense riffage, epic guitar solos, and galloping groove from the rhythm section. The vocalists add another dimension. Scheepers is his normal gritty metal vocalist. Herbie Langhans (Avantasia) adds a bit more melody and forceful drama to his range. Diabulus in Musica's Zuberoa Aznarez offers her operatic vocals for some soothing sweetness.

To speak to some of the songs, some bombastic and galloping tunes come with Face To Face, Inferno, The Revenant, and Carrier Of The Sunlight. Benegas mellows with the metal anthem A Change Of Heart which features Langhans voice over piano and orchestration. One thing you'll want to listen for in the songs are the slight breakdowns that offer a dramatic, often lighter, segue, such as the piano at the midpoint of Servants Of The Death. All said, for a debut solo album, Adrian Benegas's The Revenant is both an impressive and entertaining album of melodic and symphonic power metal. If you love that metal genre, you will enjoy this album. Recommended.

The Players: Ralf Scheepers – vocals (track 1); Henning Basse – vocals (tracks 2, 3, 5), Zuberoa Aznárez – vocals (tracks 2, 3, 5), Herbie Langhans – vocals (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9), Adrian Benegas – keyboards, composer, Diego Bogarín – guitars & bass, Seba Ramirez - drums, Alex Holzwarth – drums (track 5)

The Dark Element: Songs The Night Sings

Symphonic/Melodic/Power Metal Rock

5.0/5.0

Songs The Night Sings marks the return of The Dark Element, the metal band started by vocalist Anette Olzon (ex-Nightwish) and guitar/songwriter Jani Liimatainen ... [ Read More ]

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

For a debut solo album, Adrian Benegas's The Revenant is both an impressive and entertaining album of melodic and symphonic power metal. If you love that metal genre, you will enjoy this album. Recommended.

Alphabetical Index

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]