Age of Nemesis - Psychogeist


Year of Release: 2006
Label: Magna Carta
Catalog Number: MA-9082-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 60:22:00

As I reflect upon the artwork and regurgitate its digestive mass, I imagine a series of movies that include the American-made Matrix, that Canadian-based Cube, and a lesser known flick from the Frenchies called City Of The Lost Children. Ironically, that last one was suggested to me by Roine Stolt, that extraordinary guitarist, maestro, and ace from The Flower Kings. When asked, he said that it was his all-time favorite movie. It's hard to say if this still applies, but it's a notable suggestion.

Just like that cool suite of sci-fi innovation, this album involves special effects processed within the progressive sector of Industrial Light & Magic. The optical illusions they create range from floating apparitions, Ghostbusters, and the zooming in and out of eyeballs. There are also hypodermic needles on stilts, arachnophobic automatons, and robotic tikes tied to brainwashing equipment. All around, it has much in common with both the occult and those super-strange films.

In these accounts, the atmosphere is an apocalyptic future where intelligent spirits regularly enter in and out of space-warping time-signatures. It's as heavy and industrialist as Nine Inch Nails, but still progressively furry. In the winter, it wears the skinny pelt of Pink Floyd to stay warm. Whether it's a chartbuster or a one-hit wonder, welcome my son, welcome to the machine!

An interesting side-note to point out is that there are two Zoltans in the band. I know it's hard to believe, but neither one is a former associate of Stolt, or at the very least, a drummer. The first, Mr. Kiss, is responsible for the vocals. Fabian, the other, releases all kinds of guitars into the wild. He emancipates a scratchy batch of sequencers from the holding cell as well.

As for the arrangement of this erector set, the first six songs are the story behind the title, and it's an epic. This unusually-pudgy organism is akin to Operation: Mindcrime whilst permeating the plastically-elastic stratum of Magellan. Minus the visuals on the screen, it's as much a moviegoer's experience as it is music. Close your eyes, recline, and feel it.

If you're wondering what else to expect from the long feature, the song-oriented shorts, or the attention-grabbing trailers, here's a string of spoilers to whet your whistle and sell it:

"Fate's Door" is the portal into this somewhat portentous abyss. With fascinating samples and lyrics, it lays the trap for a wonderfully-convoluted concept.

Gyorgy Nagy's keyboards in the second movement are simply incredible. Inside the "Grey Room," there is agony, experimentation, and degradation. Likewise, Peter Linka provides creepy narration and conjecture. This track might be torture to hear, but this pain is too close to pleasure.

In the following section tagged "Faceless," Gyorgy's brother Laszlo provides precise, but playful drums. Afterwards, "Mommy's Crying" is equally enticing due to Csaba Berczelly's blithe bass.

In the title track and "Breaking Away," everything is convincingly drawn into a vortex. The melodies are cogent while the solos are forceful. Hence, the remainder of this voyage is impressively-laden with adrenaline and angst.

With these chronicles out of the way, we pass through a wormhole and enjoy the hors d'oeuvres they sent us ala carte.

After the epic comes an instrumental called "Goddess Nemesis." It's Dixie Dregs meets Opus Atlantica meets Time Requiem. It's no wonder they decide to come aboard Richard Anderson's Space Odyssey then enter into the similarly-named actor's Stargate. Nagy takes on the form of Derek Sherinian on this journey. As a result of his rebellious actions, Naboo is zapped by the Death Star while Planet X is blasted by an early model from Dream Theater's fleet.

"Eye Of The Snake" is a boa constrictor's playfellow. As it serves up an Egyptian riff on a dish similar to Kamelot's dinnerware, it's a servant to the pharaoh. This progressive python is so twisted; Samuel Jackson will curse its existence and demand it gets off his freaking ship.

After that, "Karma" and "Abraxas" complement each other like a Gardenburger or a Boca. Both are alternatives to the recommended selections. They are even suitable substitutions for an ornery vegan.

In the tradition of Jadis and Kino, the last song, "Awakening Mind," is unlike the rest. Still, it belongs on the disc, and in some ways, it's my favorite. It's a weeping willow swaying in the wind, and with a forecast such as this, it finally smiles. While it's thirsty and forlorn, it realizes the glass is not half-empty, but full. At first, there is a pitter-patter and then just like that comes a light, caring rain. With this ground-breaking material showing appreciation to the heavens, the cloud cry tears of joy.

Even though the singer is no slouch, the instrumentals in my opinion are the best options on the menu. As a critic, I'm inclined to smash this point home. It's not that the other songs are weak, but that these two are exceptional.

On a whole, the album greatly exceeds my expectations. From what I can tell, this holds its own among Magna Carta's heavy hitters. Furthermore, these prime cuts could very well cause primal fear in the minds of a warring tribe or any competing label.

While they are named Age of Nemesis, I don't see this as Doom. However, it would be a calamity if you missed out on this prophecy's prognostication. Psychogeist is a progressive poltergeist that embodies the ectoplasm and essence held within the annals of eerily-good music. As that little girl trapped inside the TV once said, "They're here!"


Tracklisting:
The Psychogeist Story: Fate's Door / Grey Room / Faceless Enemy / Mommy's Crying / Psychogeist / Breaking Away // Goddess Nemesis / Eye Of The Snake / Karma / Abraxas / Awaking Minds

Musicians:
Csaba Berczelly - bass, acoustic guitar
Gyorgy Nagy - keyboards
Zoltan Fabian - guitars, acoustic guitar
Laszlo Nagy - drums, percussion
Zoltan Kiss - vocals

Discography:
Nemesis (1998)
Abraxas (1999)
For Promotional Use Only (promo) (2001)
Eden? (2002)
Terra Incognita (2002)
Psychogeist (2006)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin HU

Added: February 17th 2007
Reviewer: Joshua "Prawg Dawg" Turner
Score:
Artist website: www.ageofnemesis.com
Hits: 2562
Language: english

  

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