Return to Void: Memory Shift, The Day After

Return to Void started out as Dick and Sons, an acoustic tribute band for Bruce Dickinson’s solo material. Bruce is a great songwriter, but it’s pretty hard to imagine a tribute band for his solo stuff snagging a big audience. After what must have been some pretty cool jamming, the band quickly morphed into Return to Void and released their debut album. The band definitely channels Iron Maiden, but I never got the sense that they are only imitating their heroes. Instead, the band has worked hard to develop their own voice in a crowded marketplace. On this album, the band’s sophomore effort, they combine an edgier sound with their already-accomplished progressive / melodic metal sound.

The music on this album is mostly straight-ahead progressive / heavy metal that is well-written and performed well. The musicians here are quite talented and it’s obvious that they are writing songs to expand their abilities and enhance their voice. If you listen to Markku Pihlaja’s vocals, you can definitely hear his Dickinson-like range and phrasing. It really stands out in “Scars are Real,� but listeners will hear it elsewhere, too.

I enjoyed much of this album, especially tracks like “Ionosphere of the Dark,� “The Atlantis,� and “Passenger.� The band’s strength comes from their performances and their overall vibe. They are clearly having fun discovering who they are and what they want to do. I don’t think this album will appeal to fans of edgier fare. This is more of a mid-tempo jam, one that slowly gathers various musical ideas together into a greater whole.

Track Listing:
1. Secret Societies
2. Man of the Sword
3. Midlands
4. Scars are Real
5. Ionosphere of the Dark
6. The Atlantis
7. Passenger
8. Between Horizons
9. Divine Thunder
10. Terra

Added: September 4th 2018
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Bandcamp Page
Hits: 1144
Language: english

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