Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2023 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
March 2023
- Excalion: Once Upon A Time
- RPWL: Crime Scene
- Transworld Identity: Seven Worlds
- Stormwarning: Stormwarning
- Phantom Elite: Blue Blood
- Narnia: Ghost Town
- Redemption: I Am The Storm
- Cross Country Driver: The New Truth
- The Banishment: Machine And Bone
- Seventh Crystal: Wonderland
- Demons Down: I Stand
February 2023
- Air Raid: Fatal Encounter
- Robin McAuley: Alive
- Creye: III - Weightless
- All My Shadows: Eerie Monsters
- First Signal: Face Your Fears
- Gabrielle de Val: Kiss In A Dragon Night
- We Came From Space: Overlords
- T3nors: Naked Soul
- Wig Wam: Out Of The Dark
- Khymera: Hold Your Ground
- Infinite & Divine: Ascendancy
- eMolecule: The Architect
January 2023
- Girish & The Chronicles: Back On Earth (Reissue)
- Arctic Rain: Unity
- Electric Mob: 2 Make U Cry & Dance
- Crowne: Operation Phoenix
- Ronnie Romero: Raised On Heavy Radio
- Ten: Something Wicked This Way Comes
- Riverside: ID.Entity
- Issa: Lights Of Japan
- Heroes And Monsters: Heroes And Monsters
- Big City: Sunwind Sails
December 2022
- NY Fury: I Want It All
- Tommy DeCarlo: Dancing In The Moonlight
- Tarmat: Out Of The Blue
- Scream Maker: Bloodking
- Sabu: Banshee
- Rob Moratti: Epical
- Nevena: Nevena
- Landfall: Elevate
- After Lapse: Face The Storm
Assignment: Reflections
Assignment: Reflections
Progressive Power Metal
4.0/5.0
Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Massacre Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 12.08.2020 | Released: 21.08.2020
Four years on from their previous album, 2016's Closing The Circle, Germany's Assignment returns with their fifth studio album, Reflections. The album finds the band with a permanent (for now) lead singer in Diego Valdez, and introduces new drummer Michael Kolar and guest vocalist Ines Vera-Ortiz.
Assignment
Musically, Assignment strays little from past recordings, playing aggressive progressive power metal. Between the sharp riffage, roaring rhythm section, and Valdez' assertive, often raging, vocals, some Assignment songs can be distilled to three adjectives: fast, heavy, and intense. You'll certainly hear this with Mercyful Angel, Obsession, or Submission, by example. But Assignment can also mix things up. A song like Unknown Hero turns more upon progressive metal rather than racing power metal, and also offers some fine piano moments and symphonic synths. Reflections is softened at the start by female choral vocals, before the song quickly becomes a heavy, steady, and dense prog workout. Vocalist Ines Vera-Ortiz is heard sharing lead vocals with Valdez within Endlessly, something of prog power ballad or anthem. The song has a significant vocal breakdown with piano around the six minute mark. Be sure to listen for it. After the stunning instrumental opening song, Trilogia Balkanica, Endlessly is probably my favorite song here. Overall, if you're an Assignment fan or simply enjoy lightly complex, yet heavy and intense, progressive power metal you will enjoy Assignment's latest album, Reflections.
The Bottom Line
If you're an Assignment fan or simply enjoy lightly complex, yet heavy and intense, progressive power metal you will enjoy Assignment's latest album, Reflections.
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
Album of the Week
Formed 23 years ago, Finland's Excalion has had a turbulent musical career. Before releasing a trio of albums between 2005 and 2010, they had personnel changes. Currently, only the drummer and keyboard ... [ Read More ]