(Power Metal) [CD] Lunar Explosion - Lunar Explosion - 2013, WavPack (image+.cue), lossless

REVIEW FROM ALLABOUTTHEROCK.CO.UK:

This Italian 5 piece power metal super combo was formed back in 2010 in the beautiful part if the world that is Veneto, Italy. To be specific it is claimed the band offer a mix of neoclassical power Prog metal. Right, try and get your head around that!!

By all accounts these guys have supported some top names as they’ve trekked it around Europe, with Joe Cocker, Steve Winwood (Ex Traffic), Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane) to name but a few. Most notably maybe, Lunar Explosion have played with Blaze Bailey, ex Iron maiden vocalist, playing songs from his era with the legendary band, pretty amazing work if you can get it!!

You’ve had a little bit of history, now they have now brought their first record in the shape of their self entitled “Lunar Explosion.” So, queue dodgy space related puns and Astrological jokes, does this record have the goods to blast it into the metal stratosphere?? Here’s the flavour of this space themed treat!!

“Vasa Warship” sets the scene, extremely frantic widdly widdly guitar solo intros leet us know what to expect. Queue the Bruce Dickinsonesque vocal of course, never out of fashion, add to this some mega over the top guitar fret work of the most indulgent kind and you have songs so emotionally over the top, you may feel your having your very own personal meltdown. At no point did I get the story the vocals were trying to paint! It all sounded pretty epic, I’m not sure what I was meant to feel when the track faded out, maybe I was meant to be impressed by the over exuberant solo marathons!!

“Karnak” is just as theatrically charged as the previous song, but it has a darker edge to the main metal riff and is less overtly “fun” as the opener!! Harmony is pretty central to the main structure of the songs, vocally I mean. Vocal chorus’s are the main body of the songs which will be peppered with some stellar lead guitar work slicing and dicing the frets. Put your tongue firmly in your cheek to enjoy this stuff, it is flat out intense power pop metal with no time to pause and take a reality check!!

“From Beyond” has a head bobbing kick ass opening riff that sets your head windmilling!! The vocals feeling well judged on this quality tune. The song feels a bit more stripped back the other orchestral efforts, that while are probably enjoyable to record, leave the listener a bit detached from the experience. This track however has direction, purpose and some searing vocals, to drop your jaw!! The solos are on a completely different level as well, think Dream Theater meets Dragonforce and you are there!!

The track “St George” again the same old overpowering shticky power metal feel!! I know, this is the genre right, power metal, ball outs, unashamed cheese, that is the intention. But there is literally no balance at all in the tracks, it feels like they’ve all agreed “let’s all see how fast we can play all album” when musically for the listener there is no time to take stock and readjust, it’s just one big juggernaught of power metal madness!!

If power metal is your thing and why not, then this will be an album you will almost certainly enjoy or appreciate it to some extent. The technical ability of Lunar Explosion is not in doubt, they are superhumanly talented. But that talent needs to be translated into musical structure that has a wider appeal surely!! Or is it just me!!

REVIEW FROM WWW.DANGERDOG.COM:

Lunar Explosion is a young upstart band from Italy, but not without some significant experience in the three short years of existence. Despite their youth, on the strength of a four song demo recording, the band has been selected to open for several important acts including Michael Angelo Batio, Blaze Bayley, Elvenking, and Domine.

Lunar Explosion chosen metal style is basic, and classic, European melodic power metal, with a strong emphasis on twin lead guitars. Actually, if they wanted to give a title to their debut album, they could have called it 'Guitar Explosion'. Most every song from the start has a dashing guitar line flowing in the tune. And that's not counting the several solos in every song, which are mostly neo-classical in style.

While not diminishing the entirety of the album, the guitar work is probably Lunar Explosion's single greatest strength. The power metal is rather typical of the genre, the lead vocals and vocal arrangements average, and the production a bit spotty on some songs, with some songs sounding like certain parts were dropped in later as an afterthought. While the guitar leads are flying everywhere, some of the best are found within Lunar Explosion, From Beyond, and The King of Judea, which are also some the best songs here. The metal ballad/anthem When The Sun No Longer Shines, not so much; it basically shows the limitations of Raffaele Smaldone's voice and the weakness of the vocal arrangements. But it does have another cool guitar solo. If you like your power metal with lots of big guitar leads, then you'll want to get this album.