Lance King – ReProgram
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
He is known as the voice of Pyramaze and other Metal acts (Gemini, Balance of Power, …), Lance King. The tenor has a vocal range of four octaves. For a Metal Singer that is quite unusual. For some time now, the American singer and songwriter has been on solo paths. In March, the second solo album “ReProgram” will be released. Beside him further well-known musicians are to be heard on the album, like Kim Olesen (Anubis gate), Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen) or Rich Hinks (Annihilator). With such a top-class cast, it goes without saying that I’ve listened to the album.
The single most powerful thing you can do, is unlearn the limiting beliefs you have accepted as truths in your youth. This frees you from the chains that bind, the chains of the subconscious mind.
The singer himself says about the meaning of the album title. And with the title song “ReProgram”, a midtempo rock song, the album starts. Here Kim Olesen can shine with a guitar solo. In the straight rocking “Technology” you can then enjoy his guitar playing extensively. The catchy chorus encourages you to sing along. Outstanding is the anthemic “Reaction Formation”. Majestically, the guitar pops out of the speakers by Matt Hodsdon. This song is probably the absolute hit on the album and definitely radio-friendly. Afterwards you can hear great riffs on “Limitless”. After the quieter “Wide Open” follows with “Chaotica” a real speed-cracker. The album ends with the nearly ten-minute “A Mind At War”, an epic masterpiece. After a relatively quiet start, the song then picks up speed later. Powerful bass, spoken words and flamenco guitars (!) provide a lot of variety.
Lance King and his colleagues have pubished an outstanding Melodic Rock / Melodic Metal album here. Eleven timelessly beautiful songs were recorded by excellent musicians. With “ReProgram” the singer has set the bar very, very high for other bands of this genre.
LANCE KING – Limitless (Official Lyric Video): https://youtu.be/InwDTnN3QyE
Co-Writing Performers:
Kim Olesen – (Anubis Gate) (Guitars and Keys on ‘ReProgram’ and ‘Technology’)
Markus Sigfridsson – (Darkwater/Harmony) (Guitars and Keys on ‘Stand your Ground’, ‘Limitless’, ‘Perfect World’)
Matt Hodsdon – (Chaos Frame) (Guitars and Keys on ‘Chaotica’, ‘Reaction Formation’, ‘Spell of Domestication’)
Rich Hinks – (Annihilator / Aeon Zen) (Bass on all tracks except (*) Guitar, Keys on ‘Pointing Fingers’, ‘A Mind at War’, ‘Wide Open’)
Lance’s Featured Friends:
Morten Gade Sørensen (Pyramaze/Anubis Gate) Massive Grooves and Percussion
Fred Columbo (Spheric Universe Experience) (Keys transition between ‘Wide Open & Chaotica’, solo on ‘Spell of Domestication’ and ‘A Mind at War’)
Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen) (Guitar solo on ‘Wide Open’)
Jakob Riis (L Wood Joy) ( *Bass on ‘ReProgram’ and ‘Technology’)
Label: Nightmare Records
Out: March 29th 2019
Playing time: 59:53
Track list:
- ReProgram
- Pointing Fingers
- Stand Your Ground
- Technology
- Reaction Formation
- Limitless
- Wide Open
- Chaotica
- Spell Of Domestication
- Perfect World
- A Mind At War
Rating : 9/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
