(Power/Progressive Metal) [CD] Othyrworld - Beyond Into The Night Of Day - 2005, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The early days of heavy metal were quite an interesting and unique time, as the various bands who built the foundation of the metal style were not bound by any rules set by the limitations of a particular sub-genre. Black Sabbath is a shining example of the progressive nature that the metal style has always had, and anyone who has heard the entire discography from the first LP with Ozzy up until the last one with Tony Martin, there is an endless spectrum of possibilities that all waiting hands can grab onto and make their own.

In the late 70s there was a group of musicians from Vancouver Canada who sought to expand upon this Progressive ideal, a band that pre-dates both Queensryche and Fates Warning, and one that originated under the name Sacred Blade. One of the disadvantages that they had in attaining recognition as the first bands to marry the ideas of Rush, Pink Floyd and other seventies progressive rock bands successfully (Sabbath tried this on Technical Ecstasy and failed miserably) is that they weren't as prolific as their American competitors and failed to attract label attention until after these bands had already released several albums and gained an audience.

Luckily Black Dragon Records caught on to this phenomenon and mass communicated the fruits of several independent demos onto one full length studio release dubbed "Of The Sun And Moon". Sadly this singular release was the only thing that Sacred Blade would release on a major label and attention waned in the absence of a follow up. Eventually Fates Warning and Queensryche would evolve into entirely different creatures, paving the way for a new generation of Progressive Metal bands such as Dream Theater who were radically different than the earlier conception that Sacred Blade fell into, thus "Of The Sun And Moon" was eventually forgotten and it became a bit scarce in the mid to late 90s. Although the band would attempt to gain attention with more demos with new material, by 1992 there was no way to get a new generation of numbskull Groove Metal fans interested in early 80s Progressive Metal.

However, in the wake of a massive renaissance of the Metal movement in Europe, interest was again peeked in the realm of Progressive Metal and albums such as Fates Warning's "Awaken The Guardian" and the Queensryche EP were gaining new attention. Somewhere between 2003 and 2004 Sacred Blade founder and principle composer Jeff "The Pilot" Ulmer decided to change the band's name to Othyrworld, most likely because it fit more with the otherworldly lyrics of their material and to avoid confusion with a vast collection of bands containing the word Sacred followed by something else.

The music found on Othyrworld's 2005 studio release "Beyond Into The Night Of Day" is essentially a re-recorded compilation of most of the material that was on "Of The Sun And Moon", although some of the songs were dropped to make room for songs from demos recorded after that album. The result is a large collection of radically varied, yet well connected and related material. Jeff Ulmer proves to be quite the studio musician and handles every instrument on here except for the percussion. Although the songs have mostly been kept the same, the radical advances in home recording technology since the 80s have made it possible for a high quality product to result.

The guitar work on here is the high point of the album, as it should be with all metal conceptions. The riffs are heavily inspired by NWOBHM acts such as Angel Witch, Motorhead and Iron Maiden. Signature metal moments are to be found on the driving main riff of "Of The Sun And Moon", the galloping guitar line of "Fieldz The Sunshrine", and the low end groove riffs of "In Light Of The Moon". However, being true to the Progressive side of things, we also have a sizable amount of acoustic interludes in several of the songs, giving it a quasi-folk quality at times. The lead guitar work on here is heavily influenced by both the NWOBHM players and more melodic players such as Alex Lifeson and Dave Gilmour, resulting in a soloing style quite similar to Chris DeGarmo's.

Although the ideas found on here are quite simple in comparison to what is currently offered up by Progressive Metal outfits, the general musicality on display here is quite astounding when one considers the time it was originally composed. Every song from the shortest to longest in length is loaded with variation both in melodic material and instrumentation, resulting in a general flow and epic feel resulting in this release listening like a concept album. There are several lead riffs that come in and out of different songs, which bolster this implied structure further.

As someone who became familiar with some of the material on Sacred Blade's 1986 release "Of The Sun And Moon" I was happy to see a new studio version, mostly because I lacked the original CD and was only able to track down 3 songs from it online. Of those 3, my favorite was "Master Of The Sun", which unfortunately was dropped from this release in order to make room for more recent material. I am hopeful that this song will eventually get re-recorded as it is a rather early attempt at what we now know as Epic Power Metal.

To all you Progressive Metal freaks out there, this is a verified piece of history directly linked with the music that you love. The relationship that this band has with the scene is quite similar to the one that Overkill had with Thrash Metal, they were there before most of the other more successful acts were, and they don't get nearly the credit that they deserve for getting the genre going. If you like Rush, Queensryche, Fates Warning and early Iron Maiden this album will provide you with a lot of pleasant listens. It still enjoys a large amount of play in my car whenever I'm in the mood for contemplating what is beyond the atmosphere of this planet.

Encyclopaedia Metallum

Jeff Ulmer - vocalz, electric, acoustic, steel + bass guitarz, organ, piano, programming, FX
Ted Zawadzki - drumz, acoustic + electronic percussion