Album review overview: Tremonti, Rufus Wainwright and more

Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are way too many to listen to them all, let alone review them. It ensures that too many albums are left behind. And that’s a shame. That is why today we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors in short reviews.

Valiant Sentinel – Neverealm

Valiant Sentinel is a Greek traditional power metal band founded in 2018. With “Neverealm”, Valiant Sentinel release their second album. Their debut album “Valiant Sentinel” was released in 2022 by No Remorse Records. That album featured many guest contributions, including Fabio Leone of the Italian power metal band Rhapsody Of Fire, and Valiant Sentinel also sounded strongly influenced by Italian power metal bands such as Rhapsody Of Fire and Rhapsody. “Neverealm” again includes guest appearances. Laura Guldemond (Burning Witches) sings on the title track “Neverealm”, while Zak Stevens (Savatage/Circle II Circle) appears on “Arch Nemesis”. Partly due to the involvement of drummer Frederik Ehmke from the German power metal band Blind Guardian, who is not part of Valiant Sentinel’s permanent line-up, the band now sounds closer to German power metal acts such as Blind Guardian, Avantasia and Gamma Ray. The weakest track on the album is “Come What May”, already one of the worst ballads of the year. “Neverealm” is an average power metal album with clear roots in traditional Italian and German power metal. Pleasant enough, but that is all. (Ad Keepers) (6/10) (Theogonia Records)

Paul Ricci – The Path

Paul Ricci is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer who has carved out a unique place in contemporary fusion and instrumental music over recent decades. With roots in jazz, rock, classical and world music, Ricci is a musician who refuses to be pinned down to a single genre, something clearly demonstrated on “The Path”. The guitar unquestionably plays a leading role on this record: the album opens with “Major Look”, in which Ricci immediately showcases his virtuoso playing. The title “The Path” is aptly chosen, as the listener truly follows a journey, from rough, jazz-inspired improvisations to more ambient-like passages. This is never easy listening: the compositions are consistently complex, with many layers that cannot be absorbed in a single listen. Ricci draws inspiration from many styles, something clearly audible on “Lobo”, an adventurous and driving piece featuring African rhythms, Eastern melodic lines and a wonderful closing guitar solo. It is one of the highlights on “The Path”, alongside the restrained closing track “Down on 6th St.”. From a production perspective, everything is tightly executed, with a modern, clear mix that allows the various layers of the compositions to shine. (Jeroen Mulder) (8/10) (Origin Records)

Kele – The Singing Winds Pt. 3

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke concludes his ambitious “The Elements” series with this third instalment, a trilogy of albums that began as a creative experiment during lockdown. What makes this series special is that every sound, apart from the vocals, is created by processing his guitar. That limitation has resulted in a sonic consistency that makes this one of his most satisfying solo records. Opener “It Wasn’t Meant To Be” deals with the end of a relationship, told not in a slow or gentle way but rather through calm chaos. Single “Hometown Edge” looks at London streets such as Liverpool Street and Bethnal Green, with catchy melodies unable to hide the pain in his words. “Money Trouble” offers the delightfully British expression ‘I’m going out out’ before dissolving into club beats, while “Day And Night” evokes the shimmering keys of Joy Division’s “Atmosphere” with a pulsing rhythm. Tracks such as “Breathless” and the Greek folk-inspired “Kintsugi” showcase Okereke’s versatility. The album closes with “Holy Work”, an attempt to find comfort in a combination of love and religion, leaving a sense of completion. (William Brown) (7/10) (Kola)

Tremonti – The End Will Show Us How

Renowned guitarist Mark Tremonti, best known for his work with Creed and Alter Bridge, delivers his heaviest and most visceral release to date with his sixth solo album under his own name. Together with band members Eric Friedman on guitar, Ryan Bennett on drums and Tanner Keegan on bass, he returned to Studio Barbarosa in Orlando to record twelve metallic anthems with producer Michael Baskette. Opener “The Mother, The Earth and I” builds atmosphere slowly before the guitar increases in volume and weight. “One More Time” opens with a chainsaw riff that grips the listener for four minutes, while “Just Too Much” and “Nails” are prime examples of exhilarating metallic power. The production is big and polished but remains close to the beating heart of the beast. Tremonti’s voice, although not his strongest attribute, suits the emotional depth of songs such as the ballad “It’s Not Over”. The title track combines rhythmic force with soaring lyrics, while “I’ll Take My Chances” begins with a powerful double-time intro on bass and drums. The album sounds fresh and modern without feeling dated, featuring songs that feel epic without overstaying their welcome. (Anton Dupont) (8/10) (Napalm)

Rufus Wainwright – Dream Requiem

The versatile singer-songwriter and composer presents an ambitious classical work with “Dream Requiem”, written during the pandemic. This live recording of the world premiere in June 2024 in Paris features a composition for orchestra, choir, soprano and narrator. With Meryl Streep as narrator and soprano Anna Prohaska, performed by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under the direction of conductor Mikko Franck, this is a prestigious project commissioned by major cultural institutions in the US, the UK and Europe. The text weaves together words from the Latin Mass for the Dead with Lord Byron’s apocalyptic poem “Darkness”, written after the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815. The two texts are treated in different musical ways: Byron’s poem is largely spoken by the narrator and underscored by dark orchestral arrangements, while the Latin requiem text is sung by a large mixed choir, children’s choir and soprano. Highlights of this hour-long work include the ecstatic “Lux perpetua”, the gripping cello solo in the “Offertorium” and the eerie “In paradisum”. Wainwright’s textual inventiveness and strong melodic instinct make “Dream Requiem” a consistently engaging and rewarding listening experience. (Norman van den Wildenberg) (7/10) (Warner Classics)