Band:	Pyramaze
Album:	Immortal
Style:	Progressive power metal
Release date:	May 30, 2008
A review by:	Jeff

01. Arise
02. Year Of The Phoenix
03. Ghost Light
04. Touched By The Mara
05. A Beautiful Death
06. Legacy In A Rhyme
07. Caramon's Poem
08. The Highland
09. Shadow Of The Beast
10. March Through An Endless Rain

Since the beginning of Metal Storm (and the band can confirm it ) we've always been some fervent supporters of Pyramaze and this is not this year that we will start to praise their name. Sure they've hired one of the most fantastic singers of the Heavy Metal scene (Matt belongs in the list of my favorite singers) but I will try to focus on the music of the new album and not only on a name (even if of course we have nothing to say against him one more time!). "Immortal" is a super album of Progressive Power Metal.

Giving the name of Matt Barlow as their new singer, Pyramaze has created the news of the year 2007. Sure it was a big challenge to hire him but they did it and since that date a lot of people, especially the fans of Iced Earth were awaiting the new album of the Danish combo. "Immortal" is out now and I can finally give my opinion about it. If you know the band since its beginning I can tell you that you'll not be disappointed by "Immortal". One more time the album is a lovely release of melodic Progressive Power Metal. The keyboards are again one of the main instruments in the compositions but this time the riffs are even more powerful than in the past. I won't compare it to Iced Earth but "Immortal" is now a lot more in the category of the US Power Metal releases than in the European category. The people who use to read my reviews know that I'm always praising US Power and then I will have to praise the new Pyramaze, that's just logical! The songs featured on the album all have great catchy melodies but one more time this is the big riffs and the little progressive sides produced by the keyboards which are the most interesting plus of course, the performance of Matt Barlow?

I suppose that a lot of you were wondering if it was a good idea for Matt Barlow to join the team of Pyramaze. Don't worry for him, first he is still a great singer and his performance on the album is perfect but also I just think that his voice fits perfectly to the music of Pyramaze. On a side, Matt gives power and energy to Pyramaze, and on the other side Pyramaze gives something new, complex (the Prog aspect) and different to the American singer. It's a bit like if we had a perfect exchange on this album, both entities push each other to the top level of Metal. If you add that the production of the album is perfect and that "Immortal" with songs likes "Ghost Light" or "Year Of The Phoenix" probably features the best composition of the Danish combo I suppose that you understand that this release is simply their best and you won't have the right to miss it.

Now that Matt Barlow is back with Iced Earth, I hope that Pyramaze will still find a way to collaborate with him in the future. Sure it won't be easy maybe for the shows but it would be sad if the band doesn't find a way to release other albums with Matt. Also I really think that it could be a good way for him to do something different, but that's just my opinion of course. In the end I just want to say that the new Pyramaze is all but deceiving! "Immortal" is a really good album of melodic and Progressive Power Metal which will be enjoyed by all the old fans of the combo like all the ones who like Matt Barlow's voice. Thumb up to Pyramaze which has released a really good new album and confirm all the good things that we think about them on Metal Storm.