Li-sa-X - this nickname lingered in my head only in the form of several covers, several posts on twitter and one interview in Metallion magazine (Vol 65). I didn't follow the activity of this artist. As it turned out, it was in vain. In March of this year, the first single of an interesting project with her participation was released.
My Rating: 77/100 Best song: Just Be My Treasure
There are only two tracks, but I can say something about this release. The first thing you can notice is minimalistic cover. Also, something similar can be seen in the overall sound: it's interesting, but not overloaded - this is exactly what you need. First track is something progressive in the spirit of the later Dream Theater. Second track is something groove and technical with a taste of NWOBHM. Two different tracks on single is a nice detail.
Next is the composer. Сomposer's work at middle level. It's noticeable that in first track there is a lot of emphasis on melodic improvisation, and in second - on rhythm section. But all this is implemented according to the standard scheme, in which nothing significant was introduced. Yes, it's noticeable that the task was not to adhere to any strict patterns. And even in the first track there is a certain attempt to do something unusual, which is expressed in virtuoso improvisation after a small vocalist's part. This is also evident in the sighted pause and interesting timing in the spirit of Sergey Mavrin. But I don't think that anyone can be greatly surprised at this now.
Now about the vocalist. Vocalist seems to me some kind of machine that just performs the parts according the sheet music (I hope that I'm wrong). No, I don't want to say that the vocalist is bad, just the opposite. But it seems to me that the performance of vocal parts is somehow too orthodoxal, too conservative. This is especially true for segments in English. But overall, vocalist did an excellent job.
Instrumental parts sound cool. Despite the high overall intensity of sound exstraction, it's difficult to write a lot of text. First is guitars. It's noticeable that there are two guitarists with different views and different approaches to business. Shades at this level are a nice detail. There is also something to say about rhythm section. Bass is not heard in mix - that's as usual. However, drum parts are something unbelievable. If the first track does not pay much attention to drums, then in second a rather high intensity of drum loops. Additional instruments are also present here, for example, a piano in the first track. But they are used quite trivially - as an addition to the overall structure. However, this is also a nice detail.
“The brighter the flame, the faster it goes out” - I hope the leader was guided by this principle. Because the members showed not all their skills, it's noticeable that they are capable of more. Overall, this album can be called attractive. From the point of view of technic, everything is great here. From the point of view of composer work, there is little interesting here. Seriously, they have enough expression, but I can’t understand how they stand out in their region. It would be interesting if they would have more local flavor in the compositions. Well, if you take into account the age of the leader, then I can say that this is really cool work.
