EER-MUSIC.com HOME PAGE

EER-MUSIC.com
MEET THE STAFF HERE

 
Xang Destiny of a Dream (1999, Galileo Records)
Galileo Records
P.O. Box 30
9126 Necker
SWITZERLAND

Xang, a prog metal band formed in France in 1995, builds
melodic, instrumental, progressive hard rock around crunchy
guitars and soaring keyboards on their first full length CD
Destiny of a Dream.

The sound of crunchy guitars and keyboards mixed on equal
footing recalls the sound of Dream Theater, but Xang's
songwriting focuses more on melody and songs rather than flashy
individual chops of the musicians.  The music climbs through
grand passages of dueling guitar and keyboards, and alights
softly in quiet passages with clean piano and delicate guitar
work.  The solid but not innovative chord progressions often
build underneath extensive guitar and keyboard solo passages
that occasionally drag on a little too long.

The melodies shared by guitar and keyboards retain listener
interest well and fill the traditional role given to vocals, a
difficult songwriting task in instrumental rock.  A paragraph
of ethereal and occasionally inane poetic themes in the liner
notes accompanies each song.  The music remains largely free of
such stuffy prog trappings, save perhaps for the lo-fi sampled
intro to "The Dream."

Destiny of a Dream sounds clear and grandiose, with
tight crunchy guitars, a perfect guitar sound for progressive
metal, and many different keyboard textures effectively
conveying various moods.  The mix occasionally favors the bass
guitar over the drums, and those two rhythm section instruments
competently back the band although they lack more prominent
roles in the music.

Xang's debut CD Destiny of a Dream shows songwriting
skill and elegant performance in majestic instrumental prog
metal centered around guitar and keyboards.


Reviewed by Scott Andrews [sha3u@Virginia.edu]


More Info:

http://members.nbci.com/XANG/




RETURN TO:

To purchase this recording and get more info, soundclips, etc.
CLICK ON ARTIST'S NAME ABOVE
OR . . .
Please visit my BUY IT E.E.R. NOW INDEX PAGE
OR...

Please try my brand spankin' new 
EER and AMAZON.com QUIK-LINKs
buyer's guide to recommended music.
OR ...
 go to my LINKS page and find the vendors' section. 
Happy hunting!

Observe how the word
wheel reverses direction
if you try and read words.