Majesty of Revival: Pinnacle

Pinnacle is the 5th studio album by Ukrainian progressive metal act Majesty of Revival (MOR), a band founded in 2009 by guitarist/vocalist Dimitriy Pavlovskiy and accompanied for this album by Marvin on drums, Myroslav (Mad Doctor) Danko on guitars and vocals, Vitaliy Popfalushi on bass and vocals and Maestone on keyboards, an album full of metallic force, anthemic choruses, shredding guitars, frenetic drum and bass, and lots of cross-genre nuances here and there.

“Open� marks the forceful entrance to the album, progressive neoclassical metal with some soft growling vocals that will be used sporadically throughout the whole record, nothing overwhelming, kind of pleasant instead. The keyboards are very distinctive and important, both in the melody and the arrangements. “You Have A Message� is a very unique tune with very angular arrangements and almost comical narrative vocals, and there is a great atmospheric and melodic refreshing moment that shows how crazily sweet they can be within the obscure and darkness of their proposal. “Rebellion� is the first melodic progressive hook in the album in the style of Shadow Gallery and Sonata Arctica, a mood to be followed in the next song “Mindcrime� which sticks to that same anthemic progressive metal formula, rapid heavy riffing accompanied by huge keyboard licks and tight rhythmic section, with some resemblance to an accessible Symphony X. “Fool� is one of those songs where the Faith No More vibe is present and on top of that some horns which should sound a bit off to some, not my cup of tea, don’t hate it either… cool keys-guitar tandem towards the end.

“Deliverance� is one of my favs from the album, both for the immediate hooky melodic guitars and a bit slower tempo that soothes the experience and treats the listener with more memorable music, especially with the huge and melodic outro choruses. This is my first experience with any MOR’s music and besides the evident eclecticism that is always appreciated, the talent is also evident in the songwriting and execution. “At All Cost� kicks off with classic piano and soft and low tone vocals and incredibly stays there with beautiful violins enhancing the already exquisite music, like pouring chilled eyedrops on sore eyes, great stuff. “Dig Me Up� shows the funkier side of the band, both in the rhythm and arrangements, cool drumming but a song that I believe should have been part of a different record, it just feels a little off. With “Citylights� we are back into technical progressive metal territory, like a Critical Mass-era Threshold on steroids, with soft transitions between moods and a great guitar work. Powerful and unique guitar riffing and double bass drums set the tone for “Stone�, the faster, darker, and heavier song in the entire album that the band accurately executes without abandoning the melodic aspect of their formula. One of my favorite guitar moments on Pinnacle arrives with “Things Are Not What They Seem� although I’m not very fond of the growling voices, thankfully the band never overuses them and they also add the neoclassical melodic stuff to round up all corners, so at the end even the songs with growling become very enjoyable at some point. “Guardians� and “Overcome?� are two great songs that are full of passion, virtuosity and a little of complexity, where there is a more intricate work between all instruments with an honorable mention to the classical guitar work, outstanding and beautiful. There’s a lot of stuff here worth of listening and investigating. By the way, we couldn’t ask for a better closer than “Overcome?�.

Track Listing:

1. Open (4:04)
2. You Have a Message (4:38)
3. Rebellion (3:46)
4. Mindcrime (5:01)
5. Fool (4:37)
6. Deliverance (4:17)
7. At All Costs (3:11)
8. Bury Me Part II: Dig Me Up (3:24)
9. Citylights (4:02)
10. Stone (6:12)
11. Things Are Not What They Seem (4:17)
12. Guardians (4:54)
13. Overcome? (3:35)

Added: June 26th 2022
Reviewer: Jose Antonio Marmol
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 860
Language: english

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