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Progland was founded by John Gabbard in 2005. It's purpose has been to provide you, the music community with the latest music and dvd reviews. It will continue to be your link to the most popular music reviews in the progressive world.

 

Poverty's No Crime - "The Chemical Chaos"

Reviewed by: Tommy Hash
Genre: Prog Metal
Country: Germany
Language: English
Length: 63:42
Release Date: November 18, 2003
Label:
InsideOut America
Band Members: Volker Walsemann - Vocals & Guitars Marco Ahrens - Guitars
  Heiko Spaarmann - Bass Andreas Tegeler - Drums
  Jörg Springub - Keyboards
     
Track Listing: 1.)- Walk Into Nowhere 8.)-Moving Target
  2.)- Every Kind Of Life 9.)- Do What You Feel
  3.)- All Minds In One 10.)-Access Denied (bonus track)
  4.)-A World Without Me  
  5.)- Terminal Trip  
  6.)- Pact With The Past  
  7.)- Left To Chance
     
The Review

All right here we go, funny how this bands name tends to be sympathetic to the state of the economy at this time, obviously a phrase that might be sighted on some tree-hugging yuppie college kids WV van placed somewhere between a Phish and "Free Tibet" Sticker. But don't judge a band by it's name, I mean this is literally their fifth album, and should be the record that might them break into the whole progressive rock/metal mold here in the U.S. ***

This being their fifth album, and their first for Inside Out, which is among many of the labels that this German quintet has been signed to in the past, they tend to walk the thin line between progressive Metal and progressive rock, being song oriented with heavy exposure among the improvisation of both keyboards verses guitars. But then again, these guys are not just another weak Dream Theater clone; they stand out amongst themselves, but for comparisons sake they lean toward a mixture of Angra, Spock's Beard, and Vanden Plas. ***

Obviously, The Chemical Chaos is a dark record, that with its emphasis tend to lean toward the playing, there is the whole songwriting structure that keep the sound of the album more tame, without going overboard with the jamming/soloing, keeping the hooks in their place, but yet leaving the extended timing of the songs give the headroom for what accessible experimentation is used here. The dual guitar work from both Volker Walsemann and Marco Ahrens, is completely metal-esque, with your thick Marshall rhythmic punch that carries constant through the record, no to mention leads that are no distant from any metal player's chops; but along with this we have the keyboards, brought to you courtesy of Jörg Springub, who plays the aggressive synth solos, to church reverberated Hammond organs, to warm analog synth pads, even the bass stands, occasionally with pops and slaps, complimenting the busy "Zonder" style of drumming of Andreas "Theo" Tegeler. ***

Well for one, The Chemical Chaos opens up with "Walk Into Nowhere," which, opens up with more of an overture type piece, with the soloing between the guitars and the keyboards beginning this cut, which eventually leads the basic song, with the lyrical content, coming from the pipes of Volker Walsemann, whose vocal range stays within a lower range, without falsettos that might tend to be annoying for some. With the whole song structure setting the tone for the record, there are dark moments with yet an upbeat feel such as "All Minds in One," "Left to Chance," and "Do What you Feel," being more like some of Fates Warning's or Queensryche's darker material. There are of course the ballad like moments such as "A World Without Me," "Pact with the Past," "Moving Target," and the acoustic "Access Denied;" but with yet the pace changes, the consistency of the record stays the same. ***

All for all this makes for a great record, keeping it's own sound, while not straying too far from typical progressive endurance that pleases us all. The production is more organic sounding, with more of a live atmosphere, rather than sounding too overproduced, but by no means being stripped down. ***

Tommy Hash

 

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