Wednesday, June 12, 2013

MAX PIE - Eight Pieces - One World

I have to admit that the name didn't draw my attention in the first place, and it took some time to give it a spin. And after the first moments I'm glad I did. Max Pie are a band from Belgium, and this album is their second so far, following their "Initial Process" which was released last year. The style of their music is a mix between Dream Theater and Symphony X, and creating an album that is absolutely adorable from start to finish. A good work has been done in the vocals, sometimes clear and others more harsh, following the rhythm and the mood of each song. The vocal skills of Tony Carlino often leaving you speechless, with his flawless singing, and his varied way of singing as song styles shift from Prog to Classic Metal and Melodic Power. Another memorable thing, and maybe one of the strongest, is the melodies. Melodies created by guitars and keyboards, are plenty and catchy as hell. You will find yourself often whispering a melody, a solo, or a bridge, long after it has finished, as this album contains plenty of those moments, but used in a very clever way. The songs are quite big and contain a lot of style and tempo changes, but all crafted in a clever way so the listener won't get bored or lost behind unnecessary complexity. Musicwise the band is very good, from the vocals to the guitars and the rhythm section, everyone is doing a perfect work. The production is very good, crystal clear, the kind of production the music like this deserves, with the mixing and mastering done by Simone Mularoni of DGM, who also contributed in the guitar works on two tracks. With a variety of styles, and songs that are moving on high quality there's plenty to like on this one. And as with every Progressive album, if you choose to dig a little deeper you will discover even more. It's complex, well arranged, with magnificent melodies, a right rhythm section, and plenty of catchy moments, all wrapped into a package that has the ability to shift shapes.

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