Sonic Prophecy Savage Gods Review
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Dream Theater’s first few albums were some of the coolest, creative ones I had heard up to that point in time. They were the albums on repeat while I wrote 3 of my novels. There was something magical, believable and theatrical enough that singer James LaBrie’s sometimes whiny voice didn’t detract from the experience. Now, when I sample submissions and find a similar style I take a listen. This is the case with Sonic Prophecy.
They are a self-made band having gotten all their accolades themselves from back in 2009. In fact, they are currently endorsed by Spear Guitar, Gilmore Custom Cases, Sinister Guitar Picks and Soultone Cymbals. Being around for almost 10 years is a feat in itself. And although I initially compared them to Dream Theater, they do also remind me of influences and the sounds of the bands they wanted to aspire to such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, HammerFall, Manowar, and Saxon.
Shane Provstgaard – Vocals, Darrin Goodman – Guitar, Sebastian Martin – Guitar, Ron Zemanek – Bass and Matt LeFevre – Drums lead a packed 10 song album that incorporates fantasy themes, hard rock, smoking leads, intense riffs, battering drums and decent vocals. They definitely paint a landscape of apocalyptic foreshadowing and it matches the album title pretty well.
However, with all the great music going for them (and thankfully lacking an annoying keyboard that finds its way into Dream Theater more often than it should) Shane’s vocals have that frequency to them that is borderline annoying at times. Fortunately, it never strays far from the world they created and keeps the music from going off rail. Plus, each song has a lot of music-only minutes and it’s always a treat. The change in pace reminds me of those golden Dream Theater days.
On one end of the shovel:
Iron Maiden and Dream Theater fans will find a wealth to like here. The album is borderline fantasy epic and isn’t overdone. Sonic Prophecy knew that too much can be dangerous and avoids that. The mood they evoke works and it definitely feels like a story from start to finish. Pacing and variety is good and the singer doesn’t ruin any of the songs.
On the other end of the shovel:
Having said that, for some those vocals might throw people off if they aren’t invested into what’s really happening here. Also, if the music was just background or was accidentally stumbled upon casually it could be overlooked. Sonic Prophecy seems to be something one would purposefully want to invest a few minutes into in order to stay around. Those looking for lyrics about life and struggles and something to relate to may not find it here. But that’s not what they’re about.
How deep can I dig it?
Sonic Prophecy is storytelling music. The songs have great pacing and a lot of unnecessary instruments and sound were left out creating something that is easier to get into and stay. Fans of Dream Theater and Iron Maiden can really enjoy this. For those who want modern struggles about society and opinions in their lyrics won’t find that here. If high pitched singers are annoying to you it might sway one to listen elsewhere. I’m a first generation Dream Theater fan which might make my score a bit higher than others. But it’s what I dig and I dig Sonic Prophecy’s Savage Gods 8 out of 10 feet deep!