|  Comments:
Silent Force’s third offering, Worlds Apart, continues
the partnership of German guitarist Alex Beyrodt and American vocalist
D.C. Cooper. With fellow bandmates in tow, drummer Andre Hilgers,
keyboardist Torsten Rohre and bassist Jurgen Steinmetz, the group
delivers its latest CD, three years after Infatuator, which was
their sophomore release.
What’s initially striking about Worlds Apart is the
exceptional CD cover artwork that was done by Hervé Monjeaud.
Produced and engineered by Dennis Ward, the CD features 12 melodic
and progressive tracks that show the continued maturity and growth
of the band.
Lyrically, Cooper tackles topics such as the firemen who risked
their lives in New York on 9/11 with the song “Heroes,”
and the birth of his son in “Spread Your Wings.” The
band incorporates lavish vocal harmonies to create choruses that
sound huge and intricate. Cooper and Beyrodt tailored the keys in
which the songs were written to better highlight the best quality
of Cooper’s voice.
For those interested in Alex Beyrodt’s guitar playing, there
are plenty of fills, solos and rhythm mayhem. Worlds Apart
is a more polished and better produced CD compared to its predecessor.
There is an attentive focal point on crafting great songs, and this
may be most notable because Beyrodt doesn’t shred as much
as he did on Infatuater. Still, the solos on Worlds Apart
are melodic, spirited ventures and fit well into the context of
each song.
Worlds Apart is chock full of energy. The contributions
of drummer Andre Hilgers, keyboardist Torsten Rohre and bassist
Jurgen Steinmetz help mold the music into its dynamic presentation.
After listening to the CD in its entirety, one can appreciate the
amount of time that was spent to make this a quality CD release.
If there are weaknesses, Worlds Apart could do with a little
more raw and edgy performances.
Line-up: DC Cooper (v), Alex
Beyrodt (g), Andre
Hilgers (d), Torsten Rohre (k), Jurgen Steinmetz (b)
|
