James LaBrie
Impermanent Resonance
Inside Out Music
2013
Third solo work for the voice of Dream Theater and this time he embellishes his music with the latest trend of our age. You see, the album has a very melodic orientation with various pop-rock elements but also has that “trendy metalcore” screams by the drummer Karl Peter Wildoer (Darkane, Electrocution 250, Grimmark) every now and then.
James likes adding new elements to his solo albums so this time he followed that trendy line which is too overdone & middling. It’s what we listen to by numerous bands these days so there’s nothing “new” or likable for those who do not like this screamo-metalcore shit. The album can be put under the melodic (pop) metal tag (even though it is a bit cheesy on occasion) but those brutal screams make it too ordinary instead of creating a different, more impressive atmosphere. The song structures follow the “metalcore ones” and there ain’t a variety throughout the album. It’s like a copy/paste thing but with some fine melodies at times.
The production is great and James does sing better when he’s away from his Theater companions for a very weird reason. The DT maniacs will surely get this one as James is a godlike to them… as for other metalheads, better check out the leading single “Agony” cuz’ the whole album is in the same pace. Since I do not expect anything supreme from DT anymore, I was hoping for something actually good here but unfortunately, “Impermanent Resonance” didn’t live up to my high expectations. It’s not bad but it’s so average in every part (except for the production) that leaves much to be desired at long last…
James likes adding new elements to his solo albums so this time he followed that trendy line which is too overdone & middling. It’s what we listen to by numerous bands these days so there’s nothing “new” or likable for those who do not like this screamo-metalcore shit. The album can be put under the melodic (pop) metal tag (even though it is a bit cheesy on occasion) but those brutal screams make it too ordinary instead of creating a different, more impressive atmosphere. The song structures follow the “metalcore ones” and there ain’t a variety throughout the album. It’s like a copy/paste thing but with some fine melodies at times.
The production is great and James does sing better when he’s away from his Theater companions for a very weird reason. The DT maniacs will surely get this one as James is a godlike to them… as for other metalheads, better check out the leading single “Agony” cuz’ the whole album is in the same pace. Since I do not expect anything supreme from DT anymore, I was hoping for something actually good here but unfortunately, “Impermanent Resonance” didn’t live up to my high expectations. It’s not bad but it’s so average in every part (except for the production) that leaves much to be desired at long last…