Evermoving

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Onward were pioneers of the American power metal sound of the ‘80s. The furious riffing and vocal styles that the band employs on Evermoving are favorably reminiscent of Steel Prophet, a mainstay of ‘80s USPM. But the original 2001 release date did, unfortunately, also sound like it was produced two decades prior on CD. Now having been reissued under Pure Steel Records on vinyl allows the listener to truly appreciate the dual harmonic licks and melodic sensibilities of an album that bridged the gap between the European and American power metal styles.

Vocalist, Michael Grant’s, smooth tenor delivery is likely the biggest asset this band has. His seamless transitions between soaring majesties like “The Kindness of Strangers” and thrashy barks in “Absolution Mine” prove his worth to this band. Toby Knapp’s guitar mastery only enhances the experience of the album; instead of overindulging the songs with neoclassical passages, which he is fully capable of, he opts for succinct riffing and emotive leads, where applicable. The songwriting is also of top-notch caliber, with most songs lasting no more than six minutes, yet still giving the listener a memorable ride. Songs with catchy choruses, intense thrash verses, and euphonious guitar leads are abundant without a single shred of redundancy throughout.

This limited edition vinyl reissue will probably appeal only to fans of USPM and Onward, yet it remains a hidden gem in post-2000 USPM. Forget Nevermore and Iced Earth’s dodgy performances in the new millennium and instead treat yourself to some high quality heavy metal with Onward’s Evermoving, a true diamond in the rough.

Written for The Metal Observer...See More

While terms like "melodic" and "polished" often carry a negative connotation with me in the power metal sphere, evoking shitty europower acts like Rhapsody and Nightwish, Onward manages to do this in a way that, if anything, improves the quality of the music, rather than detracting from it. Admittedly, being a little-known power metal act from the early 2000s isn't really a help to their cause, as that wasn't exactly the greatest time for traditional metal/USPM, and the name 'Onward' doesn't really evoke a lot one way or the other, but don't be fooled, these guys are the real deal. Some may recognize vocalist Michael Grant (RIP) from his later project with Dan DeLucie, Crescent Shield - if you haven't heard them, I suggest you check out my reviews for their albums, as they're also quite good.

So, I've established that the music is good, but what does it sound like specifically? Well, despite its accessible nature, the songwriting seems to draw from a number of influences. The oldschool heavy/power vibes are definitely there, but the catchy, galloping, attitude-laden riffs hearken back to NWOBHM more than anything else; Angel Witch and Raven come to mind, but I'm sure other comparisons could be made as well. Keep in mind this is primarily an influence on the riffing; the guitar harmonies slightly evoke thoughts of NWOBHM as well, but it's closer to Blind Guardian's brand of intricate rhythm/lead harmonies than the dual lead style of the NWOBHM. The vocal lines - especially the choruses - are more evocative of europower than anything else, with multi-tracked vocals and usually in a simple soaring anthemic style. A few other bands, like Virgin Steele, have used this with some success, but Onward are one of the few USPM bands I've heard really use this to their advantage.

The production is pretty cool, if a bit too polished even for my tastes; the guitar sound is pretty slick, but it's also thick and up front, so it's not really much of a problem. USPM seems to be better with a rough rather than silky smooth production in general, but it works well here with the catchy, immediate tracks and the multi-tracked choruses. Virgin Steele use productions that are also fairly smooth to great success, so it obviously can be done, it just usually isn't. Grant is in top form here, sounding sort of like a deeper, more operatic James Rivera, in a good way. He has a very strong, proud tone, and while he never throws out crazy falsettos or any particularly unique traits, he's still quite good and worthy of praise.

My main complaint for this album is the song "Absolution Mine", which has really manic, weird verses that don't work well in context and transition awkwardly into the traditionally anthemic chorus. The rest of the songs are all very solid, with highlights being the powerful, uplifting title track (ON! WARD! Never underestimate my force of will!) and the gorgeous, tasty harmonizing of "The Waterfall Enchantress." "Storm Coming Soon" is also excellent (IT'S TIME TO CLEANSE THE LAND AGAIN!), but really you just can't go wrong with any of the tracks other than the aforementioned "Absolution Mine." If you're into melodic USPM or think that a combination of NWOBHM and some of the meatier europower acts sound cool - of if you're just a fan of Grant - definitely check out this album, you'll be singing along for weeks!

Despite having been signed to Century Media, Onward seem to have been somewhat forgotten in the metal scene. Exactly why is a big mystery, as the two albums they released stand as landmarks in the traditional metal genre. This, their 2001 debut, is one massively impressive dose of metal, mixing equal parts traditional, power, and prog, creating a work that is easily as powerful as it is fleeting (more on that in a bit). You see, the charming thing about Onward is that they really are a traditional metal act espousing hints of progressive tendencies - how many times have you heard that and found it to be utter crap? Onward is closer to Omen than anything like Symphony X, but they're by no means a clone of anything.

The main draw with Onward is two-fold. First off, you can hardly read a review of the band without seeing guitarist Toby Knapp praised quite highly. Of course, there's a reason for this. For as good as he is - and he's clearly excellent, in case you had to ask - he never takes over the show as some prog metal guitarists tend to do. In other words, don't expect any Malmsteen-like stuff here. In this sense, Knapp is one of the best songwriters this hybrid genre has ever seen in that he can fully utilize his talent without becoming the band, if you will.

The other draw is clearly vocalist/lyricist Michael Grant. Seriously, this guy has got to be one of the most underrated singers I've ever heard, possessing a knack for melody rivalled only by a select few. One example might be ex-Tad Morose singer Urban Breed, another guy from the John Arch school of singing whereby the voice is essentially treated as a lead instrument, and not just relegated to passively mirroring the underlying rhythms. For example, take the song "The Waterfall Enchantress". Grant's performance positively drips with emotion, transforming a good tune into a classic one. Special mention also must be made of Grant's lyrics, which rise far above the expected power metal mediocrity. Come to think of it, though, Grant could be reading the instructions to your toaster oven and still sound 100% convincing. He's really that good.

Beyond these two, the drums and bass are about as expected - very solid if unspectacular. Things are kept interesting via a varying tempo, so you've got your mid-paced tunes, your double-bass-fueled ones, and so on. Besides, at only around thirty-eight minutes, you're unlikely to get bored. Actually, that's probably my only complaint. Anything under forty minutes gets dangerously close to the EP range, unless maybe you're in the thrash business (remember the days of the sub-thirty minute Slayer "full lengths"?). I suppose it's not really an issue of feeling cheated, though. No, it's an issue of wanting more. It's obvious these guys are very talented, enough so that they could likely have come up with another twenty minutes of greatness. As things stand, however, the album is still undeniably a classic, one that never seems to get its due. 'Tis truly a shame they only lasted a couple of years.

I'm sure a few of you will know Toby Knapp. He was one of those Shrapnel Records virtuosos from the early '90s. Now he's back with his new band Onward. With vocalist Michael Grant, bassist Randy LaFrance, and drummer John Pereau he creates a great band. For those who haven't heard Toby Knapp you need to hear him. He's a guitar GOD! He is a neo-classical shredder with an obvious Yngwie influence but he's far from a clone. Since Knapp was a Shrpanel shredder you might think the solos dominate the songs and become wankering showpieces (see Vinnie Vincent) but they don't. The solos actually fit quite well in the trad/power/thrash style Onward play. On Evermoving most of the songs are traditional metal with power metal influences but on songs like Absolution Mine there is a lot of thrash influence too. Michael Grant's vocals are unique and very good. At times he sounds like Hansi Kursch but he is always fairly unique. The opening song, The Kindness of Strangers, has a long outro solo that may be the best on the album. And it's not all shredding, about half of the solo is melodic and thematic. The next song, Onward, has great fills and solo from Knapp. But my favorite song is Abolsution Mine. Crazy solos and thrashy riffs make a very cool song. If you like melodic bands like Jag Panzer, Iron Maiden, Stratovarius, and to a lesser degree Iced Earth you would like this. If you like shredding like Yngwie or Impellitteri you must get Evermoving.