The aptly named KEYS -- an “all-keyboards band” with vocals and drums -- brings back the pomp and circumstance of Eighties AOR with flourishes of latter-day progressive rock and tinges of heavy metal via a lineup that features members past and present of Cyhra, Kamelot, Touch and other bands.
Keyboardist Mark Mangold and singer Jake E. anchor KEYS and wrote the 10 songs on The Grand Seduction together, with additional vocals, keyboards and drums coming from four other musicians. As the promo materials boast for the collective’s debut, this album pulsates with “scathing synth and organ pyrotechnics, dazzling time signatures and bombastic vocals.”
The nine-minute opening track, “Grand Seduction,” declares this band’s mission and delivers an epic big bang that showcases "guitar riffs" played on keyboards using plugins that emulate guitars. (You’ve got to hear it to believe it.) From there, “All I Need” melds the band’s musical pedigrees into an aggressive anthem, and “Vortex” is a headbanger that recalls Royal Hunt’s finer moments. You can even hear flickers of acoustic guitar -- via keyboards! -- on “Skin and Bones.” One of the most compelling tracks, however, is "Turn to Dust," which is the least heaviest and most contemporary song here.
While it might be tough to insert KEYS into a neat genre category, it’s clear this approach works. The musical chemistry between Mangold and Jake E. has resulted in a melodic and memorable statement.
Track Listing
1. Grand Seduction
2. All I Need
3. Shining Sails
4. Switchblade
5. Vortex
6. Skin and Bones
7. Turn to Dust
8. Crazy Town
9. Thought We Had Forever
10. The World Is Ours
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