Format: flac + cue + log
Genre: Fusion, Progressive Metal
Original Release Date: 2004
Label: Lion Music
This is a hard one to review. Rarely do I like to criticise such creativity within the Metal genre but on some occasions an album comes along that beggars belief as to what the musicians are hoping to achieve. One such album is MCM’s debut ‘’Ritual Factory’’ An album that ‘’spans from Progressive Rock to Experimental Jazz, from Funk Fusion to Indian Rhythms and phrasing’’ Yeah, you’ll be as bewildered as me when you hear it.
MCM is the brain child of the talented guitarist Alex Masi and he has joined forces with Randy Coven (Steve Vai/Malmsteen) on bass and John Macaluso (TNT/Malmsteen/RIOT) on drums. (I’ll let you work out where MCM comes from) and the music is extremely challenging, with emphasis on challenging. By the way it’s almost entirely instrumental with the odd spoken verse chucked in for good measure. Obvious influences are DREAM THEATER (them again!) and a big, big RUSH influence also. Each song is a master class is superb technical ability but at the same time it’s totally lacking in emotion as the playing standard is above what us mere mortals could ever hope to understand. Wave after wave of Jazz Fusion guitars, drum and bass come rolling from the speakers all mixing into a complex dispersal of sounds and shapes. After awhile it all sounds so bloody samey! And once you’ve heard one Randy Coven bass solo (utterly impressive though it is) then you’re not going to hang around for anymore. I guess you could place Masi’s guitar solos in that pigeon hole as well.
All three musicians are pushing themselves to the limit here both musically and commercially. You’ll be hard pressed to hear anything quite so diverse in the Metal world and for that MCM should be congratulated but for a spectacle of music it’s tough going. (Online August 24, 2004)
DL
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