THE PARALYDIUM PROJECT – The Paralydium Project EP (2015)

This self-titled, 3-song EP is the first taste we get of THE PARALYDIUM PROJECT, a new monster band created by former Dynazty guitarist John Berg alongside current Dynazty members Georg Egg (drums) and Jonathan Olsson (bass), as well as keyboardist Micke Jansson (Degreed) and vocalists Mikael Sehlin (Engel) and Linnea Vikstrom (Therion).

As you see, the core of the band come from Melodic Hard Rock acts, but just to make sure you get this, this project sounds nothing like Dynazty or Degreed at all. Well, at places, a little.
Some time ago, John Berg jumped the Dynazty ship to pursuit other musical challenges, looking for a completely new sound, and The Paralydium Project blends classic metal riffs with a big chunk of progressive and on top of that, catchy melodies that sometimes even borders to AOR. Sounds intriguing?
Well, I think so too, so let’s get a bit deeper into what this lot have to offer.

Opener “New Frontier” is a beast. It’s a heavy and aggressive prog metal tune, but with an extremely catchy chorus that brings ’80s AOR to mind. I also think of prog-pop-hard rock stuff such as Jono and Degreed. Not being a prog metal fan per se – I like my fair share of bands that works in that territory, but most of them passes me by unnoticed – this is how I love my prog metal, I need the catchiness.

That’s why I also love the second tune, “Bringer Of Life”, because of its catchiness. Shadow Gallery comes to mind, but also – again – Degreed. It’s very much a prog metal track but it moves more towards progressive hard rock and I guess Berg’s roots in the melodic rock scene leaves its mark on the song.
Last track “Astral Liberation” is the heaviest and most progressive song on the EP. I hear some Kevin Moore (ex-Dream Theater) influenced keyboard arrangements and I also hear a lot of Circus Maximus in melody and structure, but just when you thought you knew the song, some AOR-ish, Toto-like melodies shows up on top of it and that sure give the song a different vibe. We only hear Linnéa Vikström briefly here, but she adds another dimension to the track.

The Paralydium Project is one of the most original and intriguing band appeared this year.
Berg’s guitar work is incredible, and is complemented very well by Jansson’s expansive keyboards. Sehlin’s vocals are a huge part of the appeal here as well with a tremendous power and range.
We only get three songs here (averaging about 7 minutes each), but that’s enough to whet the appetite for the full-length release. These are three songs that are going to get a lot of plays from me in the months to come.
The Paralydium Project could very well be the next big thing in the Melodic Progressive Metal scene. Anyone who’s into catchy metal / hard plus modern prog / AOR touches with killer vocals will want to pick up this (digital-only) release.
Very, Highly Recommended.

1. New Frontier
2. Bringer of Life
3. Astral Liberation

John Berg – Guitars, Additional Keys, Programming
Georg Härnsten Egg – Drums
Jonathan Olsson – Bass
Micke Jansson – Keyboards, Synths
Mikael Sehlin – Vocals, Backing Vocals
Linnéa Vikström – Vocals, Backing Vocals

BUY IT !
itunes.apple.com/us/album/paralydium-project-single/id1046680712
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