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Release Date: October 26th, 2010
Review Date: October 11th, 2010
Modified: April 15th, 2011
Record Label: Prosthetic
My rating:
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Although I already reviewed this album a couple of weeks before its release date last year, now having seen some of the songs live a number of times as the band toured across the country opening for the likes of Blind Guardian and Eluveitie, and in anticipation of their headline tour that starts tonight, I feel it appropriate to modify and retouch the review.
It might come across as an exaggeration to most people when I say that Holy Grail is one of my favorite bands. Not to me, because through the seven times I've seen them perform, they impressed me immensely and have become a band I've really grown fond of. The first four of these seven shows were much before this debut album was even released, and my anticipation for this release kept growing as the days went on. It certainly didn't disappoint me, in fact far from it, as it ended up being my number 1 album of the year 2010.
For people who are still not familiar with the band, Holy Grail is a traditional heavy metal quintet based out of Pasadena, CA and is a band that can pride themselves for making "good old metal" sound the way it truly should, by way of clean high pitched vocals and guitar melodies, reminiscent of metal stalwarts like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Accept. And for those who are familiar with them, this album consists of tracks that formed their "Improper Burial" EP that came out in 2009, as well as eight brand new tracks.
The album gets off to a terrific start with "My Last Attack". Now a staple in their live set, the high-spirited, high-pitched vocals and guitar harmonies in this song always induce some old school head banging and air guitar. The interlude and the trade-off guitar solos that follow it extend the song quite a bit, which is a good thing, as it has resulted in a track that's more than just the traditional verse-chorus-verse tune. It is no surprise that this song became a part of Holy Grail's live set months before this album even had a title.
A modified, re-mixed and re-produced version of "Fight To Kill" is track number 2. A few more rhythm guitar riffs and backing vocal parts have been added to it. At first I didn't quite dig it because I was used to the original version, but as time went on, that apprehension disappeared and in the end I didn't even remember how different the original one sounded. It possesses elements of speed, thrash and melody that will gratify any metal fan.
"Call Of Valhalla", another one off of the aforementioned EP, comes next. To give you a visual picture of the music, you won't see much of head banging or moshing during this song but you will most certainly enjoy the melody and feel like singing along while raising your fist in the air. Technically they've done a great job modifying this one, that's for sure. It sounds much more solid as compared to the original version, with a pleasantly richer guitar sound.
The title song "Crisis In Utopia" is a very interesting tune and perhaps shows the band's evolution over the 2 and a half years of their existence. They've taken it beyond the traditional heavy metal spectrum. The vocal style and the technicality in the guitar sound give it more of a modern metal kind of aura.
The last of the older tracks,"Immortal Man", which also happens to be my favorite Holy Grail song, is up next. Just before listening to the album version, I was a bit apprehensive at the thought of what they must have done to it and how it would compare to the original EP version. But all my apprehensions, fears and doubts were erased to a large extent as I listened to it. The vocals, guitar harmonies and solos that originally made this one of the best songs to have released in recent years are still very much in full glory, and have only been enhanced for this album.
"Nocturne In D Minor" is exactly what the name suggests, a delightfully beautiful and dark little guitar piece with some apparent orchestration layer. It would please the connoisseurs and arouse their curiosity for what the remainder of this album has left to offer.
It leads into "The Blackest Night" which is even more guitar melody-laden as compared to its predecessors, and is quite technical and progressive in nature as it even offers changes in tempo. Till now Holy Grail were compared to the bands I mentioned earlier, the likes of Maiden and Priest. But while listening to tunes like these, I definitely think of bands like Megadeth, Nevermore and even Dream Theater.
An incredibly rich intro that sounds like a million guitar notes put together sets the perfect tone for "Chase The Wind" which carries on from where the previous track left off. It's slower in tempo but yet again, the interlude-solo combination offers something new and different from the rest of the album, beautifully overlaying the solo on top of palm-muted riffs.
"Hollow Ground" is easily the most progressive track on the album, offering a multitude of tempo changes. People who've been following the bands since its inception will be pleasantly shocked and surprised, as this track is musically really far from where they were in Improper Burial. Having said that, "Hollow Ground" won't go down as an instant classic in the same way "Immortal Man" and "Fight To Kill" first did. But once it grows on you, it's possibly the best track on the album.
"Requiem" is a song that clocks more than 5 minutes, but takes a while to really get going, which isn't until the guitar solo kicks in well past the half way mark. They could have trimmed down the first half of the song significantly.
It leads into the final track "Cherish Disdain", which is exactly the ending this album needed. It combines all the elements present in the previous tracks, as if to sum everything up in a single song, and then some! It incorporates backing vocals in the form of growls, something I never thought would be part of a Holy Grail song. It also adds on symphonic elements, and you would think you are listening to a melodic death metal band.
"Crisis In Utopia" is a shining example of how a group of talented and inspired musicians can develop over a short period of time. Holy Grail's debut album retains the traditional elements the band has been known for, while coming across as modern, dark, progressive and heavy all at the same time, creating a sound that spans across a whole range of sub-genres of metal and which might as well go on to become a sound of their own. Holy Grail is already one of the most promising bands out there today, and I expect them to continue evolving their way to greatness.
A mind-blowing debut effort that exudes unbounded freshness and solid musicianship, "Crisis In Utopia" has certainly gone down excellently well among heavy metal fans and critics alike. Listening to the album at home is entertaining enough, but to enjoy it in full earnest come out to a Holy Grail show. But before you do that, make sure to keep your neck muscles warmed up.
Readers in the Los Angeles area can check out the band as they perform tonight, April 15th at The Viper Room in Hollywood. Click here for tickets and other details. For the rest of the tour dates, see below!
Holy Grail/Cauldron tour:
04/16 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Metro Opera House
04/17 - Portland, OR - Dante's
04/18 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
04/19 - Vancouver, BC - Media Club
04/21 - Calgary, AB - Republik
04/22 - Edmonton, AB - Brixx Bar & Grill
04/25 - Winnipeg, MB - Royal Albert
04/26 - Thunder Bay, ON - Crocks
04/28 - Toronto, ON - The Wreck Room
04/29 - Quebec, QC - L'Agitee
04/30 - Montreal, QC - Il Motore
05/01 - Allston, MA - Great Scott
05/02 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground
05/03 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
05/04 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool
05/05 - Washington, DC - Red Palace
05/06 - Columbus, OH - The Summit
05/07 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean
05/08 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club
05/09 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
05/10 - Denver, CO - Three Kings Tavern
05/11 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Vegas
05/12 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theatre
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