Virus

The French power metallers, Heavenly, have burst back onto the metal scene with their 4th full-length CD entitled ‘Virus’. This CD is the band’s latest since their 2003 effort, ‘Dust to Dust’, which received a lot of praise. There has also been a few line-up changes to the band since their last release. Matthieu Plana has replaced Pierre-Emmanuel Pellison on bass guitar, Olivier Lapauze has replaced Frederic Leclercz on guitar and Thomas Das Neves has replaced Maxence Pilo on drums. All these changes occurred during mid-2004, so the band has had a good year and a half together, and ‘Virus’ is what they have achieved.

‘Virus’ sees the return of the Heavenly sound from their first 2 CDs, ‘Coming from the Sky’ and ‘Sign of the Winner’. If you're unfamiliar with those CDs, Heavenly play epic-sounding speed/ power metal with lots of guitar shredding, lots of choir choruses, lots of double-bass pummeling, and solos that can compete with those fellows from DragonForce. The main differences with ‘Virus’ from their early CDs is that they sound more tough as well as more attitude in their sound. The first 2 CDs could have gone under the ‘happy metal’ banner, but not anymore, especially since ‘Dust to Dust’. Overall, the band has matured and it’s possibly due to the line-up changes that occurred in 2004.

Production-wise, the CD is done very well as with most of the Heavenly CDs. I think on ‘Virus’, they have gone less technical than they did on ‘Dust to Dust’ (let's face it, the production on ‘Dust to Dust' was absolutely flawless). This one is more laid back, but still with an edgy and crisp feel to it. I felt that it is a lot more balanced than on previous CDs.

The only weak link on this CD and with the band in general is with the vocalist Ben Soto. Although his voice has improved since the days of ‘Coming from the Sky’, there is still some inconsistency there. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a bad vocalist, I mean, the guy could shatter glass from 20 paces, but it is his high-pitched screaming that has lost a bit of control. When he reaches those high notes on ‘Virus’, at times they sound strained and on the edge on cracking, but on the flip side, his lower to mid-range vocals are a lot better. The other thing about Mr. Soto is that he has a really strong French accent that comes through in his singing. Now I’ve had 4 CDs by Heavenly to get used to it, but it will most certainly stick out to new listeners of the band.

As with the tracks on the CD, all of them are very solid and on par with what to expect from Heavenly. I can’t say that there are any bad tracks on here as the CD is very consistent. Again, we have the epic-sounding tracks filled with great guitar riffs and excellent speed drumming. There’s a lot of choirs used throughout the tracks, especially during choruses, which makes the tracks stand out. The keyboards are used quite well in the CD. They aren’t overused, which may have been the case in early CDs, but are infused very nicely with the flow of each track. There is a massive Gamma Ray influence here as well as an Edguy influence. That being said, Heavenly are in no way a Gamma Ray clone. Ben Soto does try to imitate Kai Hansen’s vocal style in some parts, but let’s face it, he is no Kai Hansen.

Some of the better tracks from ‘Virus’ include “Spill Blood on Fire”, which sounds very Edguy like, especially with the chorus. It is one of the better vocal tracks from Soto as he sings the whole the song in mid-range which is easily his best vocal range. The title track is another epic sounding track where they mix up the sound quite a bit and it works very well, not to mention the long and awesome solo.

“Wasting Time” has a Gamma Ray feel all over it in terms of the sound, the epic choirs, the chorus, and even the vocal delivery. Soto’s vocals soar during the track, but it is one of the tracks where he delivers very nicely. Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica appears on this track as a guest vocalist. “Liberty” is arguably the best track on the CD. It’s a fast and melodic ripper with, again, a Gamma Ray feel to it. Soto’s vocals are done very well here with lots of choirs throughout and with yet another killer solo.

“When the Rain Begins to Fall” is another top song which is actually a cover, originally done by Jermaine Jackson and Pia Zadora. Heavenly has put their own stamp on it and made it their own. Lots of keyboards on this one which makes the track stand out. The female guest vocalist on this track is Lullacry’s Tanja, who does a good job. Overall, the track is a nice change up from what we normally hear from Heavenly.

Finally, the last of the better tracks is one of the Japanese bonus tracks, “The Joker”. Like the cover song, “The Joker” is different compared to the traditional Heavenly tracks, which is why it stands out to me. It’s a quick track (for Heavenly), just under 4 minutes, but it’s a simple melodic rocker where the highlight is Soto’s vocals.

Overall, ‘Virus’ is another strong release for Heavenly who have yet to make a bad CD. They have made some big strides with each release, and this latest one should be no exception. If you enjoyed ‘Sign of the Winner’ and ‘Dust to Dust’, then ‘Virus’ will be right up your alley. The vocals seem to be the only slight drawback on this CD, but opinions will vary from person to person and it won’t stop you from enjoying the CD.

Originally reviewed for www.metalcdratings.com

Heavenly's Virus is a funny little album. Just take Gamma Ray/Helloween songs, guitar lines, vocal melodies, and even the singers' voices themselves, and give them a little bit of complexity and there you have it. There's even a guitar solo that sounds exactly like the vocal melody from the chorus of a Gamma Ray song (I think it's 'Guardians of Mankind'), note per note. The end of 'Dark Memories' (and maybe the entire chorus) is exactly like the end of Gamma Ray's 'Gardens of the Sinner', with Ben singing 'memory' where Kai sings 'victory'.

Everyone knows Kai Hansen has contributed with the band in the past (Sonata Arctica's Tony Kakko appears on this one) and, although the songs on Virus are fast, powerful and exciting, it is but impossible not to notice the similarities. I mean, how can Ben Sotto manage to sound exactly like Kiske and Hansen on the same album? That's gotta be love, folks...

Also, Ben just has to do something about his broken English, as it is unnacceptable at this point in their carreer, this being their fourth studio release. Some of the lyrics are just plain unintelligible.The fact that the most poppish sounding song (Spill Blood On Fire) was translated into Japanese didn't please me much either. Does it make more sense in that language?

So, I give it 100 for great songs, great power metal and the talent of the musicians, but I also give it a round zero for originality. You do the math.

My advice to anyone who finds this album spectacular is to go listen to Gamma Ray and old Helloween with a bit of attention, and then give Virus another listen.

About 2 years ago the French power metal act Heavenly set their careers on fire with the highly progressive concept album “Dust To Dust”, which saw the arrival of axe man Charley Corbiaux and a series of amazing dueling guitar solos between 2 rather talented lead players. However, not long after the entire band essentially splintered into 2 separate bands, which left front man Ben Soto with the daunting task of replacing fellow founding member Maxence Pilo and 2 other exceptional musicians who had supported his project for several years.

I was among the doubting fans who thought that the band would lose its way and eventually fold up the tents the way “Destiny’s End” did a few years back, but after reading Ben Soto’s optimistic tone regarding the issue of reforming the band, I decided to give this album the chance that it obviously deserved. My expectations were high, and further inflated by the fact that I decided to blow an extra $8 on this release by getting it imported from Japan. Surprisingly enough, this album did not only surpass my expectations of something near the caliber of the previous album, but actually surpassed them and listens slightly better than “Dust To Dust” in many respects.

There is only one advantage that this album has over “Dust to Dust”, and that is the issue of accessibility. Their last album scarcely had a song under the 6 minute mark, as it was geared towards a more progressive sound, particularly in terms of song structure. Although many of the songs on here are equally as complex as the longer epics on the previous release, many have a more straight-forward approach in terms of form, and all of them have highly catchy and easy to sing along with choruses. I would say that “Dust to Dust” was a more extravagant and original piece of art that only the more intellectually geared metal head could truly understand, while this album is an instant classic that can appeal to a much more universal audience.

As far as the replacement musicians that Soto and Corbiaux came up with, somehow they actually managed to come out with a better group than what was before. Most notable is the addition of guitarist Oliver Lapauze, who’s highly complex and agitated soloing style, is reminiscent of Roland Grapow and provides a good technical foil to Corbiaux’s more melodically driven leads. Thomas Das Neves is equally as proficient behind the kit as Pilo was, and his sound has a bit more depth to it. Mathieu Plana is a solid bassist and keeps the bottom in tact, which is the exact role that Pellison played in his long tenure with this band.

The songs on here exhibit the same signature sound that Heavenly has been developing since their inception, fast paced power metal with a strong keyboard and vocal presence. But on here, we see the role of the guitar branch out quite a bit. The intro riffs to “The Dark Memories” and “Virus” are heavy and aggressive, to the point of sounding like late 80s thrash. “The Power and Fury” is a high octane speed metal with a rather catchy guitar melody that reminds a bit of “Illusions Part 2 (Call of the Wild)” off the last release, which was probably the most memorable track on there. “The Prince of the World” has one of the more active guitar intros, and reminds me a bit of Yngwie’s heavier tracks such as “Déjà vu” and “Never Die”. “Wasted Time” has a gloomy Iron Maiden inspired clean guitar intro, something which Heavenly had not previously bothered doing as Ben Soto’s keyboard work pretty much dominated the cleaner ambiences. “Liberty” is probably the most riveting guitar driven song on here, loaded with fast “Painkiller” inspired lines, complemented by another catchy guitar melody.

The album’s single “Spill Blood on Fire” is quite catchy, and highlights Ben Soto’s amazing singing range and ability to play multiple characters with his voice. It has many varying sections, yet it stays a very straight-forward song with a good collection of lyrical and musical hooks. We also see one of the best dueling guitar solo between Corbiaux and Lapauze. The Japanese release, which I possess, also contains a music video that is a good deal more pleasing to the eyes than the collection of garbage that MTV insists on vomiting out of the television set.

The contributions of the guest musicians on this album is also worthy of some high praise. Tony Kakko adds an emotionally neurotic element to “Wasted Time” that makes it a standout track amongst other more anthem-like metal songs. Kevin Codfert’s keyboard work on “Bravery in the field”, particularly at the beginning and middle section, is high reminiscent of players such as Jens Johannsen. But the highlight of this area of the album is the duet between Soto and Tanja on “When the rain begins to fall”. I am a fairly steady fan of Lullacry’s work, and I was taken aback when I learned that their tantalizing vocalist was going to grace this album with her Joan Jett/Stevie Nicks approach to singing. To put it bluntly, I used to hate this song before I heard this version of it, now I don’t feel like an idiot singing loud as all hell that “you’ll ride my rainbow in the sky!” For those who want a basis of comparison, if you own Gamma Ray’s “Power Plant”, Heavenly did for this song what they did for the Pet Shop Boys song “It’s a Sin”.

Another rather interesting surprise that came along with this version of the album is the bonus track “The Joker”. In addition to being powerful mid-tempo rocker with some solid riffs, we are treated to a rare vocal performance by Charley Corbiaux. His voice, ironically, reminds me a lot of Adrian Smith whose lead vocals can be heard on the B-side of Iron Maiden’s Somewhere in Time under the song title “Reach Out”. Fans of more traditional metal will like this song as it has a more straight-forward structure and has a stronger emphasis on the guitar.

There is so much excellent music on here, it’s all but impossible to say that one song is better than all others, but I do have one favorite out of the bunch and that is “Liberty”. In addition to having the most amazingly fast drum beat and an unforgettable chorus, it carries a rather optimistic lyrical message that underscores the triumph that this album is. Ben Soto essentially depicts the way of the world as it is, ailing with the virus of hatred and destruction, yet at the same time worth fighting for and saving. After going through a barrage of pessimistic releases out of bands like Gamma Ray’s "Majestic" and Dio’s "Master of the Moon", this song is a much needed breath of fresh air.

I will have to revise a previous statement that I made on my review of Axel Rudi Pell’s “Mystica”. That album is now tied with this one for my pick of greatest album of 2006. While ARP reminds us of where we come from, Heavenly is telling us of the amazing places that we can continue to go. Although we will always come home to the grace and simplicity of traditional metal, we can be bold and explore new territory. This album is an equal split of Progressive and Power Metal, it can appeal both to fans of Gamma Ray and Dream Theater. However, I will state once again as I don’t want to mislead anyone, I am a man who loves melody and speed in my music. Fans of Black Metal and other brands of darker music should steer clear of this album, at is unapologetic in its light nature, particularly in terms of the lyrics. But to all who want to gaze out into distant horizons with a strong sense of optimism, I invite you to hear the music that I have come to love.

(originally posted November 28, 2006.)
(edited and resubmitted on November 20, 2008)

Progression is, as I have said before, a tricky business. A band can skimp on it even slightly, but then they run the risk of sounding samey or stagnant. On the other side of the spectrum, a band might try too hard and end up producing a gamut of ridiculous noises that might as well be thrown into a flesh aquarium, running the risk of being a mere scene in a memory that will soon be forgotten. How far is too far? Exactly how much innovation should a band take upon themselves to implement?

Heavenly are a band that seems to have these questions down pat. They started off as a rather generic, yet charming, Power Metal act that borrowed heavily from Gamma Ray, Helloween and even some early Iron Savior, along with the charismatic and easily recognizable vocals of front man Ben Sotto to distinguish them from those acts. They were fun and sometimes catchy, and while I missed their third album, the controversial Dust to Dust, I can say that this newest album of theirs completely blows their earlier ones out of the water, with style, class and power to spare. Out go the speedy double bass runs, and instead we get insanely mind-blowing riff monsters like "The Dark Memories," "Bravery in the Field" and especially the excellent title track, breaking down walls of complexity with staccato riffs that build upon eachother like Lego blocks. I can't praise these riffs enough! They're punchy, aggressive, and they just keep coming, with all the force of a fucking freight train, and they have the band's masterful ear for melody and songwriting genius behind them, making this album all the better. Virus never gets simple or repetitive or boring, with each song being a complete work, and standing apart from the other ones on here.

Ben Sotto's voice is in fine form, and it is also a tad grittier and more intense than on previous outings, boasting a much stronger resemblance to the immortal Kai Hansen than ever. The choruses on here, while not the main focus of the music, are very well done in their own right - "Spill Blood on Fire" and "The Power and Fury" having the best of the crop, but "Liberty" has some very cool choirs that I also can't get enough of. There is one outlier, though, and it is the cover song, "When the Rain Begins to Fall," originally done by Jermaine Jackson & Pia Zadora. Undoubtedly the catchiest song Virus has to offer, it is out of place in such an aggressive and vicious album, and should have been relegated to EP status.

It's extremely refreshing to hear something in the modern Power Metal genre so complex and intricate without borrowing passages from Dream Theater or Rush and writing 11 minute long songs, and with just this one album, Heavenly have catapulted themselves to the forefront of their genre's respective scene. Virus is a masterclass in songwriting aerobatics and also in catchy, ear-friendly Power Metal, and thus I cannot recommend it more.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

After Heavenly made Dust To Dust, I had high hopes for Heavenly's future. I was looking forward to hearing the next logical step in their development as a neoclassical power metal band. I was betrayed when I heard Virus. Everything that made Heavenly who they were is processed into oblivion here, until nothing recognizable is found.

A wapanese friend of mine who is a huge anime nerd told me that this sounded like the intro to every 80's anime ever. Not being knowledgable of 80's anime, I trust him, because this does sound VERY wapanese. Whereas their sound on their back catalogue was very organic sounding european power metal, here there is a definite techno influence, heard on every song. While that in itself isn't bad, it's when it creeps into the guitars and the drums that it starts having a malicious influence. But I'll return to that later, there is a more pressing issue at hand.

And that is that every song here sounds the same. The chorii are all saccharine and fast paced, the verses are all forgettable, and the solos are all the same juvinile crap with a modern day studio veneer, much like spraypainting a turd gold. The singing has no sense of dynamics, being content to stay the same volume throughout. All emotion has been processed away until we are left with a product that is lifeless and digital.

And herein is the problem: Everything has been, through studio wizardry and other forms of processing, turned into a musical equivelent of mcdonalds. The only song to escape this wrath is Wasted Years, which is reminiscent of everything from Gamma Ray to Heavenly's older material. I continually listen to this song over and over again, and it is the only thing that saves Virus from an abysmally low rating. It has great riffs and great singing, and is an exception to this horrible mess.

Creatively, Virus is a gargantuan step backwards. Whereas Dust To Dust was a heavily emotional and a grand, sweeping tome to vampiricism, this is just... blah. Every song is artificially happy, everything is artificially loud, and the singing is artificially good. Everything here is artificial. If you know anything about how music is made, you will realize how artificial this is. And I can't give a high rating towards something so artificial. This makes me wonder; did Heavenly actually PLAY on this? Did they actually do anything resembling a whole track? This sounds like an amalgalmation of several different tracks recorded at different times fused together like McDonald's latest horrific creation, where the beef most likely came from several different cows. Sure, since they had instruments in their hands when this was recorded, and it can be deduced that they played on it, but what's the point if the average time for each individual track is no more than 15 seconds?

Methinks Heavenly caught the commercial virus, because that's exactly how Virus sounds.