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Lazarus Dream: Alive
Lazarus Dream - Alive Album Art

Lazarus Dream: Alive

Melodic Metal Rock
4.5/5.0

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Pride & Joy Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 11.11.2020 | Released: 13.11.2020

Lazarus Dream is the collaboration between multi-instrumentalist Markus Pfeffer and vocalist Carsten "Lizard" Schulz. Most will recognize the latter artist for his longtime presence in the European musical scene with Evidence One, Domain, Dead End Heroes, and many more. Pfeffer, perhaps not so much. But he was a fixture in the early Nineties with the acclaimed German AOR band Scarlett. Additionally, since 1996 Pfeffer has piloted this own progressive rock band Winterland. With Schulz, Alive is Lazarus Dream's debut album.

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Lazarus Dream

Musically, Lazarus Dream straddles the fence between melodic hard rock and melodic heavy metal, perhaps with some symphonic and progressive nuances. In the arrangements, the songs are lavish, often dense and heavy, with the combination of strong harmonic riffs, swollen synths, energetic rhythm section, and large vocal arrangements. While these things give most songs an epic and verbose quality, they are not lacking in melody and harmony, notably from the vocals and guitar lines. Speaking to those two elements, Schulz is in fine form, singing melodic and clean with unflinching strength. For Pfeffer's part, besides handling song composition and multiple instruments, generally, most song arrangements lead to his thrilling guitar solos.

As for Alive, the album is ambitious as the song composition with 13 songs tracking at 72 minutes, and most tunes track at five minutes or better. While you may want to divide your time, your listening efforts will be worth it as there is much to enjoy here. For some songs leaning more to towards dense melodic metal rock check out Wings Of An Eagle, The Healing Echoes, or Visions And Sins. For Steam, you get fast and heavy metal rock, with pacing and groove that does not stop from start to finish. Longer, perhaps more progressive, arrangements arrive with Dawn Of Time and Fleshburn. The former song is an example of one of Pfeffer's long and soaring guitar solos. The latter tune is most intriguing with its flute over sparkling synths giving the entrance something of a Mideastern feeling. Another favorite was Listen. Turning more on AOR melodic hard rock, the song is smoother and lighter, notably in the vocals and funky guitar line. All in all, for a debut album, Alive is a strong start for Markus Pfeffer and Carsten "Lizard" Schulz' Lazarus Dream project, offering listeners intriguing and entertaining melodic metal rock. Easily recommended.




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The Bottom Line

For a debut album, Alive is a strong start for Markus Pfeffer and Carsten "Lizard" Schulz' Lazarus Dream project, offering listeners intriguing and entertaining melodic metal rock. Easily recommended.

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