VANDEN PLAS – The Seraphic Live Works (2017)
Frontiers Music Srl will release tomorrow VANDEN PLAS‘ forthcoming live CD/DVD entitled “The Seraphic Live Works” on May 12th. Since formed in the late Eighties, this German progressive metal band combined the creativity of progressive rock with the aggression of metal and the vivid dynamism of the theater in their live performances (all of the band’s members had roots in the latter).
Despite of this, Vanden Plas Official has only released one live album 17 years ago, so with the upcoming release of “The Seraphic Live Works”, the wait for another documentation of the band’s immense talents as a live act is finally over.
Vanden Plas is part of the Frontiers Music roster since many years (their last two albums were featured on this blog), and it’s easy to hear why; their music is uber melodic.
If you are new to the band, this live album will be a proper introduction to their art.
The overall style is like a mix of the first Dream Theater of Images & Words, Saga, Marillion, even melodic rockers Fair Warning… you get the picture; extremely polished and elaborated stuff.
And very accessible.
One of the key points in this band is the infectious voice of Andy Kuntz which would be awesome to hear fronting a pure Melodic Hard Rock band: he’s like mix of Tommy Heart (Fair Warning) and first H.E.A.T singer Kenny Leckremo. His performance is impeccable on this concert while the rest of the band is incredibly precise as well.
And truth to be said, the recording quality of this concert taped at the ProgPower USA festival is pretty awesome.
“The Seraphic Live Works” is a terrific live record from a band with a unique sound, pristine and melodic like few.
I know many of you never heard about this band, generally being sold as prog metal… if you are a serious Melodic Hard Rock fan, you better check these guys. Just listen to ‘Holes In The Sky’ as example; awesome stuff.
Additionally, if you avoid live records, put aside that prejudice with “The Seraphic Live Works”: this one sounds so pristine as a studio recording. In fact, Vanden Plas sounds better on this album than on their last regular records
HIGHLY Recommended
01. Postcard to God
02. Rush of Silence
03. Holes in the Sky
04. Far Off Grace
05. Scar of an Angel
06. Quicksilver
07. Cold Wind
08. Frequency
09. Silently (Part I , II, II)
Andy Kuntz – Vocals
Torsten Reichert – Bass
Andreas Lill – Drums
Stephan Lill – Guitars
Günter Werno – Keyboards
Pre Order:
www.emp-online.com/art_353722/
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