Assignment (GER)

Progressive Metal , Progressive Rock , Avantgarde....
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Assignment (GER)

Príspevokod užívateľa Horex » 19 Feb 2021, 15:21

Assignment - Inside Of The Machine (2013)

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Year : 2013
Style : Progressive Power Metal
Country : Germany
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 160 mb


Bio:

Assignment stands for music without boundaries, as their influences are spread across the full panoply of Rock & Metal music: from Death Metal to Progressive Rock, but with the melody and arrangement of the songs always foremost in mind. Assignment therefore unabashedly calls their unique brand of music: Art Metal!If comparisons must be made for the sake of identification, then think of Assignment as having combined such diverse influences as Queensrÿche & Fates Warning, with stylistic nods to Ayreon or early Pain of Salvation. In addition the hard-edged riffs, memorable hooks and skilful arrangements result in a personal musical style of which the whole is greater and vastly more impressive than the sum of its individual influences.Guitarist / Composer Goran Panić formed assignment around the turn of the Century. After going through the habitual trials and tribulations – part of the growing pains of any new band, Assignment released their debut album "Progressive Changes," recorded at Claus Grabke’s studio in Guetersloh, Germany, in 2004, via Rock Express Records.A supportive amount of praise hailed upon the band, encouraging them to write and record their follow-up effort “Disunion Denied," which was released in 2008, and on which the band evolved towards a more forceful sound. Careful not to change a winning team, Assignment once again entrusted Claus Grabke with the recording, and later sought out Michael Schwabe (Scorpions, Paradise Lost) at the Monoposto Studios in Düsseldorf to handle the mastering.During the first decade of their existence, and thanks to the favourable reviews of their first two albums, Assignment managed to regularly perform and tour, often in combination with bands such as Poverty’s No Crime, GB Arts, Orden Ogan, and Brazilian act Stormental.For their third album: “Inside Of The Machine” Assignment decided to revisit the epic conceptual theme first deployed on their debut record Here the Machine is a metaphor for the darker side of the soul of the lead character; his inner struggles in life, his role in society. Besides featuring Bernie Versailles (Redemption) on lead guitar, the presence of some very special guests interpreting the vocal parts of the various characters from the storyline, among them: Robin Beck, Michael Bormann (Jaded Heart/ Bonfire), Mats Leven (Yngwie Malmsteen/ Addagio), and Carsten Kaiser (Angel Dust), elevates “Inside Of The Machine” to a truly towering status.Recorded throughout 2011–12, the album was mixed and mastered by Carsten Kaiser and Goran Panic at the Meta4 Studio in Bochum, Germany. There’s a hidden bonus track: "Nowhere Fast," originally interpreted by Meat Loaf, and at the time also included in the soundtrack of the Walter Hill film "Streets of Fire."

Album:

There is a reason Progressive Metal is my favorite genre to listen to and write about. Many reasons, in fact; Prog Metal bands employ everything I could love about music: intelligent songwriting, catchy hooks, technicality, unpredictability, versatility and, in many cases, heaviness, and every member of the band is showcased for their skill on their given instrument. It is to my pleasant surprise that ASSIGNMENT first graced my ears in receiving the promo on which this review is based. Their upcoming release, "Inside Of The Machine" is truly a progressive titan, a concept album of 14 full length tracks and featuring an impressive range of guest musicians; the majority of which are vocalists playing the album's 4 'main characters', including the great Mats Leven of ADAGIO. Shall we begin?It is all too easy to write pages and pages of essay material on this album, and therefore even harder to pick the standouts, but I shall try my best. The opening track, "Upload The System" is a beautifully composed (and long!) instrumental track that effectively sets the scape for the album's story, even without the employ of vocals – where the 'Machine' stands as a metaphor for the dark part of the main character's soul. Progressive-sounding enough yet? "I Am The Macihne" is one of the more straightforward tracks on the album, albeit one of my favorites, featuring a main riff reminiscent of JUDAS PRIEST's "Painkiller", and is all throughout a fast and heavy rocket ride showcasing Mats' raucous, yet soulful singing. "Love Between Heaven and Hell" best shows off the powerful voices of Michael Bormann, resonant of the great Tobias Sammet, and the female guest, Robin Beck. The latter's vocals particularly stand out for me, because she strays from the operatic vocals that women metal vocals have been known to belt out, and commands a deeper, heavier tone, likened to that of Cristina Scabbia. On this song, the two singers' voices synergies perfectly, simulating a love relationship between the story's personal heaven and hell."Betrayal" does nothing to betray the excellence that is this release, focusing on Carsten Kaiser's heavy and gritty vocal performance; definitely for fans of Jon Oliva and Jorn Lande. "Messiah's Fall" is another track I must include in my list of favorites. One of the more diverse tracks on the album, it contains passages from all of the guest vocalists; this, and the unpredictable and syncopated musical runs, ranging from the heavy to the jazzy, uses sound to paint a picture that we can see and read. "Another Sacrifice" deserves a special mention,, simply for the lengthy bass-piano playoff solo that takes up almost a third of the track. The album's closing track, "End of the Machine" is over 6 minutes of pure majesty, with riffs and passages reminiscent of a number of genres of rock and metal.For the sake of my new found love for this album, I would very much enjoy to go on; there is simply too much to say. Listening to it was an absolute pleasure, and will continue to be. The upcoming release of this album will be, for true fans of Prog Metal, an absolute killer, and will hopefully draw people to listen past more mainstream bands like DREAM THEATER, with whom, I must admit, ASSIGNMENT are on equal fitting.

Line Up:

Heiko Maag - Bass (, 2005-present)
Sven Pollkötter - Drums (1994-2003, 2010-present) - See also: Morbus
Goran Panić - Guitars (1994-present)
Gert Sprick - Keyboards (2004-present) - See also: ex-Disjecta Membra

Guests:

Bernie Versailles – Lead Guitar
Mats Leven – Vocals
Michael Bormann – Vocals
Carsten Kaiser – Vocals
Robin Beck – Vocals

Tracklist:

01. Upload the System (6:03)
02. The Intrusion (4:08)
03. I am the Machine (5:06)
04. Resistance (4:41)
05. Love between Heaven and Hell (4:15)
06. The Betrayal (3:30)
07. Messiah's Fall (4:15)
08. Ending Love (5:03)
09. Another Sacrifice (4:48)
10. Electric City (4:45)
11. Walk Alone (4:40)
12. Eternal Silence (5:35)
13. Bug in the System (3:52)
14. End of the Machine (6:06)
15. Nowhere Fast (4:58) (Bonus Track)


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Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

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Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
Odkazy na stažení všech alb naleznete pouze na našem blogu zde: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
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Re: Assignment (GER)

Príspevokod užívateľa Horex » 19 Feb 2021, 15:21

Assignment - Reflections (Digipak Edition) (2020)

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Year : 2020
Style : Progressive Power Metal
Country : Germany
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 160 mb


Bio:

Assignment stands for music without boundaries, as their influences are spread across the full panoply of Rock & Metal music: from Death Metal to Progressive Rock, but with the melody and arrangement of the songs always foremost in mind. Assignment therefore unabashedly calls their unique brand of music: Art Metal!If comparisons must be made for the sake of identification, then think of Assignment as having combined such diverse influences as Queensrÿche & Fates Warning, with stylistic nods to Ayreon or early Pain of Salvation. In addition the hard-edged riffs, memorable hooks and skilful arrangements result in a personal musical style of which the whole is greater and vastly more impressive than the sum of its individual influences.Guitarist / Composer Goran Panić formed assignment around the turn of the Century. After going through the habitual trials and tribulations – part of the growing pains of any new band, Assignment released their debut album "Progressive Changes," recorded at Claus Grabke’s studio in Guetersloh, Germany, in 2004, via Rock Express Records.A supportive amount of praise hailed upon the band, encouraging them to write and record their follow-up effort “Disunion Denied," which was released in 2008, and on which the band evolved towards a more forceful sound. Careful not to change a winning team, Assignment once again entrusted Claus Grabke with the recording, and later sought out Michael Schwabe (Scorpions, Paradise Lost) at the Monoposto Studios in Düsseldorf to handle the mastering.During the first decade of their existence, and thanks to the favourable reviews of their first two albums, Assignment managed to regularly perform and tour, often in combination with bands such as Poverty’s No Crime, GB Arts, Orden Ogan, and Brazilian act Stormental.For their third album: “Inside Of The Machine” Assignment decided to revisit the epic conceptual theme first deployed on their debut record Here the Machine is a metaphor for the darker side of the soul of the lead character; his inner struggles in life, his role in society. Besides featuring Bernie Versailles (Redemption) on lead guitar, the presence of some very special guests interpreting the vocal parts of the various characters from the storyline, among them: Robin Beck, Michael Bormann (Jaded Heart/ Bonfire), Mats Leven (Yngwie Malmsteen/ Addagio), and Carsten Kaiser (Angel Dust), elevates “Inside Of The Machine” to a truly towering status.Recorded throughout 2011–12, the album was mixed and mastered by Carsten Kaiser and Goran Panic at the Meta4 Studio in Bochum, Germany. There’s a hidden bonus track: "Nowhere Fast," originally interpreted by Meat Loaf, and at the time also included in the soundtrack of the Walter Hill film "Streets of Fire."

Album:

I’m rather surprised I haven’t heard of this band before, they’ve been around since 1996 and they have a pretty prodigious lineup. Diego Valdéz obviously being known for a few bands including IRON MASK, HELKER, and LORDS OF BLACK. In that spirit I feel the need to be somewhat sensitive when talking about this album, because judging from Encyclopedia Metallum people consider their early work to be Thrash/Speed metal masterpieces. I’m going to be upfront with you, Thrash Metal and Speed Metal are probably my least favorite genres of metal, they’re just not my bag, however this album does hold some interest on the Progressive Metal front. If anything I would qualify this as more Prog/Thrash than Prog/Power, but now I’m quibbling over genre labels.I'm going to be real upfront with you, I don't like Diego Valdéz's voice. This is just a matter of personal taste, I've never been a fan of Thrash, Speed, or even traditional metal vocals. There's no emphasis on melody or harmony, it's just Valdéz yelling at me for 58 minutes and however much I may like a lot of the music in this, his voice makes hit hard for me to stay immersed. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's get to the positives of this album.The best thing about this album is by far the guitar work, Goran Panic is one hell of a guitar player and boy are the riffs on this album meaty. The mix is mostly great and I can hear clearly through the wall of sound that develops at times. Although sometimes the vocals do almost get overshadowed by the guitar and drums. Also, the keyboards are either completely absent or buried in the mix most of the time, and I think for me personally more keyboard involvement would have helped this album a lot because the production feels very dry. Still, the energy is there, this is a very vibrant and high-octane sort of sound that never really takes a break.For anyone who likes more technical Thrash/Speed metal this album is likely going to blow you away. For me, outside of the riffs I'm just not very excited by what's happening here. It's proggy and technical which is cool and my favorite parts of the album are when the band is switching time signatures and messing with polyrhythms. Outside of that the music just feels kind of empty to me, like I said before there's not much of a melodic focus on display here and the hooks are just not really there. Memorability is my biggest issue with this album, the choruses are all pretty similar and there's nothing here I think I liked enough to ever consider revisiting. I would say the best hook on the whole album comes in track 3: "Obsession," in fact, it's probably the only song I can remember at all after listening to this album multiple times.Now seems like the time to dive into the songs. It almost seems like the band thinks that being Progressive means switching back and forth between fast and riff heavy, or mid tempo and more melodic. We go from "Corporate Men" which has a rather limp chorus, to the title track, "Reflections" which actually has some melody to it as well as guest female vocals. Unfortunately, I feel like the female vocals are wasted, they don't mesh well at all with Diego's and they also don't entirely line up, which is definitely a production issue, but I like "Reflections" enough because of how it uses the keyboard.As a general criticism of songwriting on this, no matter how good the guitar work and riffs are, if there's nothing going on underneath your verses they get repetitive and boring. Of course, for me, I already don't like the vocals so that just makes the verses that much more arduous to get through. "Submission" is just not memorable, I can't remember a thing about it, but then we get "Timeline" which is a lot more interesting.I guess if I were to describe this album in brief, it wildly rises and falls in quality, like a metronome set to 200. With some songs being very riff centric and sounding more like actual Prog Power, some songs are just straight up Thrash, and some of them are this weird in between of mid-tempo Thrash and Prog. "Timeline" is a good example of this, it has bursts of speed, but the verses aren't just focused on the vocals we also get keyboard strings and some odd time signatures. However, this song doesn't get a pass from me because there's no hook, once again I can't remember a thing.After "Obsession" I think my favorite song would have to be "Endlessly," they bring back the female vocals and this song probably has some of the strongest melody and harmony in the whole album. This song probably has the most dynamic range in the entire album. It's heavy, but then it winds down in the development section just to build back up to the climax which is a lot of fun. Variety is the name of the game my friends, and if you want to know why I don't like Thrash Metal it's because there's usually no variety in dynamics and often no variety in tempo.The last three tracks of this album are by far the proggiest part of the album and that's why they're the best parts of the album. "Unknown Hero" has some excellent sections where the keys play alongside the guitar and it really enhances the sound. Also, I should note that I don't mind the vocals on these songs as much because there's so much more going on with the instrumentation underneath, as well as the female vocals that I can't hear Diego as well most of the song.I have to acknowledge the last and longest song of the album, because once again, variety is the spice of life. I'm usually a fan of longer songs in general (7+ minutes) just because it gives a song proper time to rise and fall, tension and release. This song actually has the first proper development section of the album and I really like what they do with it. Like I said Goran Panic is an awesome guitar player and he and Gert Sprick (the keyboardist) have excellent chemistry. Panic can play quiet and emotive moments and transition back to heavy riffs at a moment's notice, not to mention the different tones he can get out of his guitar, all very nicely done.I feel like I've been building up to this, but the instrumental, proggy elements of this album are awesome, the musicianship on display is fantastic most of the time, and with the last three songs being longer and more involved, it makes the middle of the album feel like filler, and songs like "Submission" almost don't feel like they belong on the album.The quality of songwriting is all over the place, but there are legitimately great moments, especially in the last three tracks. The first two and the last three make this album worthwhile, unfortunately the rest are unmemorable and entirely disposable. Let me reiterate though, this is all me and my personal taste.I can tell you for sure, I know plenty of people who will eat this album up and love every second of it, so for those of you who are more into the US Power Metal style, this should appeal to you greatly and maybe it'll even knock your socks off. If you're more of a European Prog/Power fan like me I think you'll find this album does little to surprise or delight. The only surprises came for me when the songwriting got more complex and allowed the keys and guitar to really show off, because damn can they play.

Line Up:

Heiko Spaarmann - Bass - See also: Bleeding, Poverty's No Crime, ex-Thorn
Goran Panić - Guitars (1994-present)
Gert Sprick - Keyboards (2004-present) - See also: ex-Disjecta Membra, ex-Footstool, ex-Madonna King, ex-Schnietzel
Diego Valdez - Vocals (2016-present) - See also: Dream Child, Electronomicon, Iron Mask, ex-Bizarro, ex-Legión, ex-Azeroth, ex-Dhak, ex-Eidyllion, ex-Helker, ex-Lethal, ex-Lord Divine, ex-Lords of Black, ex-RetroSatan, ex-Skiltron, ex-Triddana, ex-Anublar Cetro, ex-Angelus, ex-Hipnosis, ex-Thrasher
Michael Kolar - Drums (2020-present) - See also: Herman Frank, Horseman, ex-Devil's Fate, ex-Almanac, ex-Crusader (live)

+ guests:

Maria Ledi Jose Pot (v)
Ines Vera Ortiz (v)
Marco Ahrens (g)

Tracklist:

01. Trilogia Balkanica
02. Mercyful Angel
03. Obsession
04. Corporate Men
05. Reflections
06. Submission
07. Timeline
08. Endlessly
09. Unknown Hero
10. Silent Nation


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Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

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Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
Odkazy na stažení všech alb naleznete pouze na našem blogu zde: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
Užívateľov profilový obrázok
Horex
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Príspevky: 28121
Dátum registrácie: 21 Feb 2013, 19:14
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Re: Assignment (GER)

Príspevokod užívateľa Horex » 29 Máj 2021, 18:02

Assignment - Closing The Circle (2016)

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Year : 2016
Style : Progressive Power Metal
Country : Germany
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 160 mb


Bio:

Assignment stands for music without boundaries, as their influences are spread across the full panoply of Rock & Metal music: from Death Metal to Progressive Rock, but with the melody and arrangement of the songs always foremost in mind. Assignment therefore unabashedly calls their unique brand of music: Art Metal!If comparisons must be made for the sake of identification, then think of Assignment as having combined such diverse influences as Queensrÿche & Fates Warning, with stylistic nods to Ayreon or early Pain of Salvation. In addition the hard-edged riffs, memorable hooks and skilful arrangements result in a personal musical style of which the whole is greater and vastly more impressive than the sum of its individual influences.Guitarist / Composer Goran Panić formed assignment around the turn of the Century. After going through the habitual trials and tribulations – part of the growing pains of any new band, Assignment released their debut album "Progressive Changes," recorded at Claus Grabke’s studio in Guetersloh, Germany, in 2004, via Rock Express Records.A supportive amount of praise hailed upon the band, encouraging them to write and record their follow-up effort “Disunion Denied," which was released in 2008, and on which the band evolved towards a more forceful sound. Careful not to change a winning team, Assignment once again entrusted Claus Grabke with the recording, and later sought out Michael Schwabe (Scorpions, Paradise Lost) at the Monoposto Studios in Düsseldorf to handle the mastering.During the first decade of their existence, and thanks to the favourable reviews of their first two albums, Assignment managed to regularly perform and tour, often in combination with bands such as Poverty’s No Crime, GB Arts, Orden Ogan, and Brazilian act Stormental.For their third album: “Inside Of The Machine” Assignment decided to revisit the epic conceptual theme first deployed on their debut record Here the Machine is a metaphor for the darker side of the soul of the lead character; his inner struggles in life, his role in society. Besides featuring Bernie Versailles (Redemption) on lead guitar, the presence of some very special guests interpreting the vocal parts of the various characters from the storyline, among them: Robin Beck, Michael Bormann (Jaded Heart/ Bonfire), Mats Leven (Yngwie Malmsteen/ Addagio), and Carsten Kaiser (Angel Dust), elevates “Inside Of The Machine” to a truly towering status.Recorded throughout 2011–12, the album was mixed and mastered by Carsten Kaiser and Goran Panic at the Meta4 Studio in Bochum, Germany. There’s a hidden bonus track: "Nowhere Fast," originally interpreted by Meat Loaf, and at the time also included in the soundtrack of the Walter Hill film "Streets of Fire."

Album:

It takes them a few years, but Germany's Assignment eventually gets around to recording a new album. They return with their fourth album Closing The Circle, now signed with Massacre Records, and along with a new bass player, Heiko Spaarmann (Poverty's No Crime) and, perhaps, a permanent lead singer in Diego Valdez (Helker). (The previous album had several vocalists.What hasn't changed for Assignment is their exploration of melodic and progressive power metal. Yet this is not overly complex stuff. The usual suspects occur with tempo and time signature changes, and particular instruments offering representative solo parts. The band's goal is not to confuse you or leave you perplexed, but to demonstrate some creativity and entertain. The glue that holds everything together is Assignment's inherent commitment to melody and groove which allows the arrangements to be both intriguing and accessible.Good examples are found within Chemical Healing, notably the shift at the midpoint with the guitar solo; Variaxis, a vocal duet that turns on the vocals, but shifts between heaviness and lightness from piano and acoutstic guitar; or Genetic Slavery which seems to move along three parts, the vocal, guitar, and drum lines, the latter two propeling the melody and groove.Something more ambitious comes with the closing two tracks, Entering The Universe and Between Parallel Worlds. Both are notable for their symphonic starts, which makes you wonder if the songs are partners. The former song is heavier with great speed and includes some death vocals cast against some female vocals. But at the start of latter song, Between Parallel Worlds, the orchestration led by some bright piano sound nearly cinematic, before it leans into traditional melodic power metal, less on the prog side.Overall, I liked the album. Closing The Circle finds Assignment in fine form, essentially in stride, and continuing to create intriguing and entertaining melodic progressive power metal. Recommended.

Line Up:

Diego Valdez - Vocals - See also: Electronomicon, Helker, ex-Bizarro, ex-Azeroth, ex-Dhak, ex-Lethal, ex-RetroSatan, ex-Skiltron, ex-Triddana, ex-Eidyllion, ex-Anublar Cetro, ex-Angelus, ex-Hipnosis
Heiko Spaarmann - Bass - See also: Poverty's No Crime, ex-Thorn
Sven Pollkötter - Drums (1994-2003, 2010-present) - See also: Morbus
Goran Panić - Guitars (1994-present)
Gert Sprick - Keyboards (2004-present) - See also: ex-Disjecta Membra, ex-Footstool, ex-Madonna King, ex-Schnietzel

Tracklist:

01. Evolution
02. Closing the Circle
03. Presence of Death
04. Genetic Slavery
05. Crimson Poison
06. Chemical Healing
07. Variaxis
08. Taste for Sin
09. Entering the Universe
10. Between Parallel Worlds


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Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

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Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
Odkazy na stažení všech alb naleznete pouze na našem blogu zde: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

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