Helion Prime – Question Everything

Helion Prime
Question Everything
Saibot Reigns
October 5, 2020
58:26

Third album – third singer. Nothing is as constant with Helion Prime as the changes on the microphone. After female vocals (Heather Michele) and male vocals (Sozos Michael) took over a woman that job again with Mary Zimmerman (Luna Mortis, The Ottoman Empire, ex- White Empress). Only guitarist Jason Ashcraft and bassist Jeremy Steinhouse have been there from the start. What remains is the cheesy factor of the album cover. However, the quintet has said goodbye to space issues. This time, people from human history will be addressed. So, let’s hear what has happened in terms of sound.

No intro, but melodic Power Metal at the beginning of the album. “The Final Theory” is just the right song to introduce the album. And Mary Zimmer’s Metal trained voice fits perfectly. Maybe her singing pushes the guitars a little too much into the background. But in the solo, these come into their own. In “Madame Mercury” the guitars roast a little more. Heavy riffs and choruses underline the voice of Mary. With “Prof” we hear classic hard rock supported by strings. Here Helion Prime go a little faster. Even with the guitar solos. Then the strings dominate. “The Gadfly” starts as a beautiful ballad. But that’s not all. It change into a mid-tempo song. The first guest appearance can be heard on “Words of The Abbot”. Here John Yelland (Judicator, Dire Peril) sings in a duet with Mary. However, he can only temporarily keep up with the female power. The guitars are outstanding again. “The Forbidden Zone” offers not only pleasant melodies accompanied by strings but also high-speed hard rock. With the title track “Question Everything” there is a rendezvous of all previous singers in the band. In addition to Mary, both Heather Michele (ex-Graveshadow) and Sozos Michael (Planeswalker) can be heard. And the song is a little out of the ordinary. Here Helion Prime sound like a mixture of Gloryhammer and Amaranthe. The choir is particularly reminiscent of the latter. The quintet sets a hell of a speed here. After that, it needs only once a breather. Because now it comes, the real (semi) ballad “Reawakening”. Mary’s singing sounds in a darker vocal timbre. Here she shows what she can do vocally. Finally, there is a Misfits cover. And I must say, the on Melodic Rock trimmed Helion Prime version of “Kong At The Gates” I like better than the original. OK, I never really got into punk.

After the more or less successful previous albums, “Question Everything” is a step in the right direction. Really new, you can’t hear it here either, but the songs are well done and have great entertainment value. The individual songs are no longer so superficially spaced, but mostly rock well off. The band seems to have matured. Is that also the influence of the new singer? Because Mary Zimmer has made much heavier music. Against this background, however, you have to realize that she cannot prove her full vocal range. Here the two masterminds could perhaps show a little more courage in the future.

Helion Prime – The Forbidden Zone [Official Lyric Video]: https://youtu.be/QhC6-QDeCkA

Lineup:

Mary Zimmer – Vocals
Jason Ashcraft – Rhythm Guitars
Jeremy Steinhouse – Bass
Alex Bosson – Drums
Chad Anderson – Lead Guitars

Track list:

• The Final Theory
• Madame Mercury
• Prof
• The Gadfly
• Photo 51
• E Pur Si Muove
• Words of The Abbot
• The Forbidden Zone
• Question Everything
• Reawakening
• Kong At The Gates