MEMORIZED DREAMS
"Theater
of Life" (Sound Riot; 2004)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Memorized Dreams are a power metal band (one can easily garner this from the cover artwork) from Finland. "Theater Of Life" is the band's debut full-length and it does have the characteristic of hesitancy on nearly every track. However, a quick spin makes clear Memorized Dreams' is not like most power metal bands. While I would not go so far as to say that Memorized Dreams are progressive in nature I would not argue with anyone who suggests that progressive metal as an influence is a part of Memorized Dreams' musical makeup.
A number of guests add their talents throughout the CD making it sound almost like a one-off superstar project than the work of a singular and insulated band; no doubt this contributes to the album's diverse sounds and Memorized Dreams are to be commended for this approach. Oddly, though, some of the tracks remind me of early Jon Bon Jovi in both the vocal and musical sound. It probably has something to do with the fact Terje Haroy does not sing in a high-pitched squeal (thus rendering comparison to nearly all power metal vocalist impossible) and the resulting tone being similar to Mr. Bon Jovi. Mind you, I am not a fan of Jon Bon Jovi, but as a teenager growing up in the MTV ‘80s the omnipresent Jon Bon Jovi was hard to escape.
I was impressed by the band's ability to make each song stand out as unique as it does because debut CDs are often are too homogenized for their own good. "Theater Of Life" has its moments across the board – at various points there are standout sections where something is impressive. However, it is difficult to find all of these particular events occurring within one song let alone at one moment.
In the end Memorized Dreams' "Theater Of Life" is competent power metal that leans heavily on a more rock'n'roll sound as opposed to the traditional aggressive approach. However, despite the shortcomings of "Theater Of Life" what I've heard seems to suggest that Memorized Dreams may be capable of carving their own unique niche in the power metal genre.
"Theater Of Life" was produced by Stein Bratland and Memorized Dreams.
Memorized Dreams: Terje Haroy on vocals, Frode Hovd and Kee Jason on guitars, Stian D. Rodsjo on synthesizers, Maria Garli on piano, Kenneth Skarsvaag on bass, and Olav Skei on drums.
For more information visit http://www.memorized-dreams.tk
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2004 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 18 Mar 2024 11:16:01 -0500.
