(AFM)
Total Time: 45:59
In 2006 one of Turkey’s most prominent prog/power metal bands, Dreamtone and Greek signer Iris Mavraki formed the band NEVERLAND to expand their musical horizons. The outcome of their collaboration is called “Reversing Time”, recorded at ATM Studios in Istanbul by Erim Arkman and Alp Turac (winners of Eurovision with Sertab Erener for the song “Every Way That I Can”) and with the addition of the Philarmonia Istanbul Orchestra that recorded at MIAM Studios in Istanbul with conductor Hakan Sensoy. Ethnical instruments and Sax parts were recorded at Mars Studios in Ankara. The mixing process took place at Division One Studios (Evergrey, In Flames, Hammerfall) in Gothenburg, Sweden and the mastering was handled by Leon Zervos (Avril Lavigne, Santana, Inxs, Skid Row, Aerosmith, Duran Duran) at Sterling Studios in New York. Count also the guest appearances by Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian), Tom Englund (Evergrey), Mike Baker and Gary Wehrkamp (Shadow Gallery). This is not an album – this is the United Nations!
We’ve seen many times albums that were put together with great effort and lots of money, but the result wouldn’t justify the fuzz. Well, this time we have something we can talk about. I am not familiar with Dreamtone’s discography and I don’t know in what kind of musical enterprises Iris Mavraki was into before this one, but “Reversing Time” is just great. Take the melancholy of the Italian power metal scene (mostly Labyrinth in their slower songs), Blind Guardian’s fantastic tale aesthetics and early Nightwish’s lyrical aura, add loads of symphonic parts, a touch of eastern music patterns, the Iron Maiden melody school in the faster songs and you have the complete picture of the album. Of course, Dreamtone’s composing capacities and Iris Mavraki’s beautiful voice is what this effort is based on.
The piano is dominating in many songs and the symphonic parts are everywhere rising the levels of epicness. Iris voice is not exactly operetical, it is crystal clear and fits great with that of Oganalp Canatan. Both of them support brilliantly the music with the help of all the aforementioned gentlemen and many second voice tracks. My only objection to the album is the mechanised drum sound, almost like drum machine. So, if you feel kind of disappointed with Blind Guardian’s latest releases, if you think the Nightwish phenomenon isn’t shining as it used to be and if you find Epica too brutal for your taste, then “Reversing Time” is your new favourite album. In any respect it is such a well crafted album that fans of symphonic, progressive metal will just love it.
The European and the Japanese edition have a different bonus track, my promo copy has neither.
