Post Description

Tracklist: 
Cold Sun Goodbye (4:39) 
Hermit (4:08) 
Megiddo (7:30) 
Love Or Illusion (7:14) 
With You Now (4:15) 
Heavy Cross (5:58) 
Letter In ‘A’ Minor (13:05) 

Album number two for Love De Vice, Numaterial, following on from their 2009 debut Dreamland. I reviewed some of there music for a prog metal special we ran on the ProgPower Europe Festival 2010. In which I quoted that their second album would be released in October 2010. Well here it is in its fill glory. The review of the band initially was based on tracks that were available on their MySpace page, which to be honest is not the best way to review a band. However, from those songs I gave the band a respectable 7 out of 10. 

The band lineup hasn’t changed, which consists of Pawel “Ozzie” Granecki (vocals), Andrzej Archanowicz (guitars), Robert Wieczorek (guitars), Krzysztof Slaby (keyboards), R.I.P (bass) and Tomasz Kudelski (drums) who all work very well together as a unit. From that review it has come to light that Cold Sun Goodbye was the opening track of the new album. As a quick reminder this is what I wrote about that track; 

“Cold Sun Goodbye starts off with Slaby’s wall of melodic keyboards which are a mainstay of the whole track, reinforced by some really nice guitar work. Ozzie has a very clear and melodic vocal range, which suits the band really well, giving strong definition, defining what Love de Vice are all about, sitting at the melodic end of the prog metal scale. The guitar solos are perfectly placed, having a wow factor about them. Slaby’s keyboard wizardry shines through, which had me, reaching for the air keyboards”.
Has my opinion changed? Not one iota. This along with the stunning Divine Blaze Orchestra’ new album, are probably the two most played albums in my collection at the moment. This is just a great dark, brooding and compelling prog metal album, which has been constructed with class and precision. A rich mix of classic rock and prog, much in the same vein as say Black Bonzo or the aforementioned The Divine Blaze Orchestra, an exotic musical framework that works well, something that the band have capitalised on. 

Love De Vice have used to great effect powerful guitar and keyboard structures, both solo and collaborative, that retain an element of commerciality, mixed in with some solid backline partnership from R.I.P and Kudelski, all balanced by Granecki’ powerful and melodious vocal presentation. The military precision of Kudelski drum work is a real eye opener too. 

There is absolutely nothing I do not like about this album, whatsoever. Hermit carries on just where Cold Sun Goodbye finishes, towering keyboards, a signature theme that runs throughout the album in general, weaved in with dark, despairing lyrics, which cleverly builds musical pictorial landscapes in the eye of the mind. Still moving within the darker realms, we are presented with the power of Megiddo, a song about the ancient fortified city purported to have seen more battles than anywhere else on the face of earth; in apocalyptic literature the mythical last battle of good verses evil, Armageddon, musically a powerful, dark, brooding song, Archanowicz and Wieczorek guitar work is second to none, a song all about the last stance of the human race. Stunning stuff and powerful word play too, almost the bands nod to the awe inspiring Stargazer. The eastern sounding Love Or Illusion builds and escalates to a total powerhouse, having a Tull-esque feel to it. Archanowicz and Wieczorek abrasive and memorable guitar work really sets the whole piece alive, which is reinforced and supported by a very impassioned band. 

The approach of With You Now proves that the band is adept and comfortable with an electric or acoustic approach, which the band has confidently used to great effect, which is inflected with some dreamy lyrical foreplay. “You give me all I need to have and tell me all I need to know, you’re my whole life. Now I feel that I’m alive since you’re by my side”. The beauty of the whole piece though is the subtle melding and unification of acoustic and electric, offering depth and class. Heavy Cross a tribute to the legendary Ronnie James Dio, which turns the heat back up preparing you for the piece de resistance that is Letter In ‘A’ Minor, which is my favourite track on the album, a culmination of the bands creativity laid bare for their listeners, driving melodic music, thunderous runs and solos. The crescendo of scaling guitar work, positioned along side the pulsating arsenal of the rest of the band which just creates a musical nirvana. 

As an album I can’t recommend it enough, Love De Vice are a band to be reckoned with, a creative force that could rank up there with the big boys, which is only a matter of time if they keep producing quality albums like this. I loved the stuff I heard on Dreamland. This is album number two which has just been released... album number three is going to be a long wait indeed. 

Conclusion: 9 out of 10 

Bron: DPRP