MISTHERIA - Messenger Of The Gods

Posted: 1/30/05

Reviewed by: Steve Gottlieb

Category: Symphonic Power Metal

Released: 10/22/04

Label URL: www.lionmusic.com

Artist URL: www.mistheria.com

Billed as “the number one keyboard player in progressive metal in Italy,” keyboard prodigy Mistheria unleashes his virtuosity on his debut album Messenger Of The Gods.  Featuring guest players galore from the genre, MOTG is a concept album revolving around the characters of ancient Greek mythology.

Mistheria cites Bach, Vivaldi, Chopin, Chick Corea, and Steve Vai as some of his favorite musicians, and Yngwie Malmsteen’s Trilogy as the first metal album he ever heard.  These influences are certainly evident throughout the album, which contains too many classical references to mention, but also contains plenty of jazz-type jams and guitars aplenty.  In fact, almost every song features the “dueling guitar/keyboard” sound that was so prominent on the early Yngwie albums.  And while Mistheria certainly lets the listener know what a great keyboard player he is, he’s not afraid to let the guitarists have their moment in the sun, including Alex Masi and a long list of other names you won’t recognize unless you own the GIT alumni directory or have the guest players of the Jason Becker tribute album sworn to memory.  The majority of the vocals are handled by Max Romano, although Rob Rock and Hubi Meisel get their chance at the mic.  Regardless of who’s singing, you can be sure that you can’t tell the difference between them (they sound like every other singer in this genre) and that Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween) is an enormous influence.

In his extensive bio, Mistheria states that he’s “never had a band,” and in some ways it shows through on the album.  Don’t get me wrong, the musicianship throughout is flawless, but many of the songs are disjointed and sound like they were simply riffs and musical passages strung together until the 7-minute mark was reached.  Of course, most symphonic and progressive metal albums are created the same way, which is why the genre will always have a limited fan base.  But, I digress.  After a few listens to MOTG, there really aren’t any standout tracks.  None of them are too bad, mind you, but none are too memorable either.  The songs are all lengthy, intricate compositions featuring numerous time and tempo changes that will either send chills down your spine or make you reach for the “skip” button.  Combine Helloween’s Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part I with Dream Theater and you get a sense of the direction in which the album is headed.

There are a few notable sections that stood out, to me at least, such as the “Revelation (Mother Earth)”-inspired piano solo leading to the aforementioned Yngwie-style guitar/keyboard interplay on “The Chimera,” or the guitar solo intro and great extended solos in the middle of “King Midas.”  Other unique references can also be found all over the album, such as on “The Beast of the Maze” which opens with a rousing Hammond organ intro but ends with a somber passage reminiscent of “Mr. Crowley” (interesting: that’s two Ozzy references that I noted on the album.  Early Ozzy tunes are not your usual suspects as a source of inspiration for symphonic metal musicians, so I guess listening to Randy Rhoads must be some sort of symphonic metal pre-requisite).   The 11-minute instrumental title track “Messenger of the Gods” is worth the listen if you have the patience, but the 11-minute “Dynasty of Death” is not.  “Witch of the Demons” opens with a female opera intro, then unbelievably gets even slower, but picks up steam midway through.  Luckily, it’s not as bad as the album closer, the sappy ballad “Eternity.”

The Bloody Truth:  When it comes to epic symphonic metal, you probably fall into one of four categories.  1) If you’re a diehard symphonic metal fan, add an axe and grab this one, which is likely a moot point since you probably already own it.  2) If you’re ‘sort of’ a fan of the genre, this cd is hit or miss, due to the limitations from the poor production.  3) If you haven’t really been exposed to this genre but are interested in checking it out, you’d probably be better off starting with bands like Rhapsody, Angra, or Stratovarius and saving this one until you’re ready for ‘symphonic metal 201.’  4) If this ain’t your cup ‘o tea, you probably stopped reading this review long ago, in which case I’m talking to myself right now.