Alkemyst are a little known French power/progressive metal band whose debut album Meeting in the Mist was released on Nuclear Blast back in 2003, and thankfully now being reissued/remastered by Metal Mind Productions. I say thankfully because there's a good chance that many fans of the genre missed this one when it first came out, and it's one you wouldn't want to miss if you are a fan of bands such as Helloween, Stratovarius, Blind Guardian, or Angra.
From the artwork, the production, the songs, and the musicianship, the entire package on Meeting in the Mist is pretty solid all around. The vocals of Ramon Messina are squarely in the Michael Kiske vein, and with a two-guitar attack, frantic bass/drum rhythms, and some technical arrangements, you can basically be assured that there's some exciting stuff happening here. The twin guitar harmonies and galloping rhythms of "Up to heaven's gate" will really thrill those into classic power metal sounds, and the complex & symphonic "Hold on to your dreams" brings to mind acts such as Dream Theater and Symphony X thanks to some stunning melodies and jaw dropping virtuosity. Another highlight is the proggy ballad "A meeting in the mist", complete with gorgeous acoustic guitar passages, keyboards, and a symphonic ending sequence, as is the speedy and heavy power metal number "Empty Skies". The real masterpiece though is the 12+ minute suite "Nameless Son", a real prog-metal tour-de-force for the band that contains some intense arrangements that really let the players strut their stuff, but also some great, soaring melodies sung by Messina.
After digesting Meeting in the Mist you'll wonder why Alkemyst never made much of an impact on the scene, however, let's hope that is all about to change, as they have released a follow-up to this debut and are even working on newer material as we speak. Metal Mind's re-issue contains an essay and some words from the band, photographs, and full lyrics, housed in an attractive digipack. Impressive stuff-remember the name...Alkemyst. I'm sure we'll all be hearing more from them in the very near future.
Track Listing
1. Spells & elixirs
2. Still alive
3. It's time
4. Up to heaven's gate
5. Hold on to your dreams
6. A meeting in the mist
7. Passage
8. Empty skies
9. Nameless son
chapter i: the awakening
chapter ii: the falling star
chapter iii: visions & doubt
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
