Return to Heaven Denied Pt. II - "A Midnight Autumn's Dream"

You know, it's not often that a band writes a spectacular album that becomes a classic and is held in the highest regard and then comes back and makes a sequel that is even BETTER than the original. I can't really think of any examples... Land Of The Free II? Nope... Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret? Nope... Of course the Keeper Of The Seven Keys Legacy: No. Return To Heaven Denied Pt.II? Actually.. Yes. This my friends is indeed superior to the immortal classic Return To Heaven Denied from 1995. Lately with their last two releases Labyrinth found themselves getting farther away from their power metal roots adding more rock and accessibility to their sound with their previous album Six Days to Nowhere being the best example of this and their worst album yet; RTHD pt.2 album finds them returning to their power metal origins in truly spectacular fashion, but with a few hints of that pop rock accessibility from their last two albums.

"The Shooting Star" begins the album with a blast and a bold statement telling fans that they are back. As well as being the second best song off this album it's also the longest and the most power metal song on it. It opens with the same keyboard theme from the opener from the original RTHD, which is a neat continuation of themes that helps make this a true sequel. The clear winner for best song of the album is “Princess of the Night”. This is truly the heaviest song with some really great riffs and really aggressive drumming from newcomer Alessandro Bissa, whom incidentally does a phenomenal job on this album with some really technical drumming in places in addition to the blasting double bass drums. The overall sound of this album is very symphonic with lots of keyboard as usual. I’ve always found Labyrinth’s music to be fairly unique (for Italian power metal) in that they’re not too cheesy, but they still maintain that flowery upbeat sound reminiscent of bands like Stratovarius, DGM and Dark Moor. It’s really nice to see that they’re not trying to sound like Rhapsody Of Fire because nowadays it seems like every Italian metal band and their mother try to imitate them.

With all this power metal this is a huge shift in sound going straight back to their sound from the dawn of the 21st century. Olaf Thorsen's return is really what made this return to form possible, because Pier Gonella was just not cutting it as their chief songwriter. Instead of trying anything new or different for the band he played it really safe, essentially creating a more modern version of Labyrinth’s most celebrated accomplishment. Amongst the power metal we have a few modern rock tunes and even though they’re the least metal songs on the whole album they’re still better than anything from the last two albums mainly because they’re so damn catchy. These additions could have gone very wrong and had the potential of ruining the albums continuity, but Labyrinth was really smart about song placement because when we get to these songs they fit the theme, but they also don’t come as too much of a surprise because the band had the commons sense to put less aggressive metal songs before the “rockers”; this is a great example of how song placement can really change how an album is looked at. The title track also deserves some mention because you rarely see a band make the one ballad on an album the title track; as far as ballads go this song is excellent really capturing the beauty that the name of the album suggests. Speaking of beauty: Roberto Tyranti has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard, on the previous album his voice seemed really restrained and muffled and in the rest of their albums he's sounded fine, but the production has always held him back I thought. With this album his voice has matured incredibly and the production is superb really letting you hear what this man can do.

This is one album without a single weak song; this band has clearly lavished a great deal of time, effort and skill into making this and it really shows. This has their best songs to date, their best sound (production wise and mixing), really their best everything. With this album they have truly created a magnum opus to surpass their previous one.

One of the best surprises of the summer was Labyrinth releasing an album entitled “Return to Heaven Denied Part II – A Midnight Autumn’s Dream.” I really have never had an interest in power metal, but I have all of Labyrinth’s albums and have always had a genuine enthusiasm for the band. There “Return to Heaven Denied” album is my favorite power metal album and has an aura that can’t be explained through words.

I was shocked about how great this album was, granted it is not their best, but I believe it contains their best song in their discography “A Midnight Autumn’s Dream” and “Sailors of Time” is catchy song with great overlying vocals in the chorus. However, this album has some dull parts and one song that is a throw away.

The first song has a vibe of “Moonlight” and “New Horizons” from the part 1 album. “Shooting Star” opens up with an electric guitar up-picking and down-picking, with chords being rung out. After the first minute the band begins to pick it up and plays heavy through the verse. Then they arrive at the pre-chorus and slow it down with beautiful and clean music, ala “New Horizons.” This is followed by creating a bombastic chorus with excellent chord progression. Rob’s voice is still at the upper caliber of power metal and the band sounds like they finally got their act together, after the last two albums. The song is 8 minutes, but I assure you it will not disappoint any fan of Labyrinth or the power metal scene in general.

If you have ever doubted Rob Tiranti’s voice is diminished, check out the beginning of “A Chance.” Excellent solo singing, before the band come crashing in with fast guitar riffs and cool hammer-ons and pull-offs between verses. This is another song that has the vibe from the part 1 album, especially with the mellow pre-chorus and the epic chorus.

"Like Shadows in the Dark” is one of the weaker songs on the album. The only segment of this song I like is the final verse in the postlude, with the contra petulant vocal harmonies. “Princess of the Night” is a fast song and contains a mellow bridge reminiscent of old Labyrinth that leads to a warm solo before blistering into the final chorus. The guitar riffs are heavy and progressive, which makes this song another hit in the discography in Labyrinth.

"Sailors of Time” is an incredible song that gives me goose bumps and is a warm welcome. I especially love the chorus, because of the dual vocal harmonies. This song does have melodramatic lyrics, but after all, it is power metal. All in all, this is a powerful song and is one of my favorite songs in the Labyrinth library. “To where we belong” is another superb song, reminiscent of the old Labyrinth days. I admire the chorus with the chord progression and the drum rolls. The solo is perspiring with heavy guitar riffs.

"A Midnight Summer’s Dream” is the best song on this album and is Labyrinth’s best song. This song is magical and is an excellent serenade. It is enchanting from start to finish, and the structure is perfect. The cello in the beginning is chimerical and Rob’s introduction is beautiful. The first pre-chorus is small, but synthesizes the way for colossal song. The chorus’ guitar structure is perfect with chords in the beginning and having the guitars ascend with Rob’s voice. The solo after the first chorus is an excellent transition. Next is the second verse and Labyrinth slowly adds more instruments to the song. They play the second verse with clean guitars, but at 2:16 we are featured with the best segment any song can offer! No seriously, go tune the song to 2:16 and listen to the pre-chorus. It has a dual guitar with minimum distortion that ascends with Rob’s voice. After the second chorus the band picks up the speed and heaviness of the song with an Iron Maiden-esque guitar riff. At 3:30 we can hear mellow guitars and singing, with beautiful Labyrinth harmonies. All in all, one of the best ballad songs, I have ever heard and if a ballad song can appeal to me, it will appeal to anyone. This is simply an enchanting song!

"The Morning’s” and “In this void” are weaker songs. They contain some parts that are fulfilling, like the chorus for “In this void.” Nonetheless, for a monumental album these are the throwaway songs. The last song “A painting on the Wall” is another well written ballad song by Labyrinth, a well executed chorus with beautiful verses and in ending with the “Falling Rain” intro from the part I album.

All in all, any fan of Labyrinth or power metal would enjoy this album. I avoid the power metal scene, but I always make an attempt to buy the new Labyrinth album. I would highly suggest buying the one with Japanese bonus tracks; “You Don’t Remember, I won’t forget” and “A Midnight Autumn’s Dream” with Irene Fornaclari. These tracks are both phenomenal. Labyrinth is an underrated band, with great talented musicians and is not like most main-stream power metal bands, I believe anyone who likes metal with a great vocalist, well structured guitar parts and vigor would enjoy Labyrinth.

About 2 years ago I had all but written the obituary from the once great Italian, progressively informed power metal band Labyrinth. What was once a colossal fold of virtuoso musicians with a brilliant songwriter in Olaf Thorsten keeping their songs accessible and triumphant sounding became a disjointed mess of modern influences after said driving force left the fold to concentrate on his other equally formidable project Vision Divine. As is the case with many great bands, the sum is usually not more, or less than its parts, and Thorsten’s influence on the band’s songwriting made all the difference in that uniquely memorable and spellbinding marriage of easy to follow songs with a strong helping of fancy detailing.

It is my great pleasure to say that the moribund state of this band has been fully, utterly, completely reversed. Even with the absence of long time bassist Chris Breeze and the fill happy speed tech. Mattia Stancioiu, the old order has been fully reformed and with it the glorious former sound that made this band a pinnacle force in shaping the character of late 90s Italian power metal. Bucking the trend of failed attempts at procreating sequels to old classics, this continuation of “Return To Heaven Denied” that is “A Midnight Autumn’s Dream” rides the metal winds with almost the same level of majestic brilliance as the original. This is not merely a solid batch of what made the late 90s and early 2000s so great, but a full out celebration of that entire era.

Naturally there is no stepping on the same piece of river twice, and this album is not a full, exact recreation of its namesake. The guitar tone has remembered that slightly smoother, overdriven feel that was present on the band’s self-titled album, which was not as crunchy and metallic as their work before Olaf departed, but is still a thankful far cry from the decrepit mess that took over the rhythm guitar tracks on “Freeman”. With the absence of Breeze and Stancioiu the rhythm section has become more of a support section than prior, where drum fills were frequent and the bass was occasionally employed as a solo instrument. This is an album where keyboards, guitars and vocals are the staple, and in this regard the band has gone completely back to their roots, even to the point that the lead guitar tracking almost sounds like it was directly lifted off of their 1998-2001 master tapes.

In some respects, this could be seen as a streamlined version of its predecessor, in others an extended one. The blazing opener of the ’98 classic “Moonlight” and it’s more epic closer “Die For Freedom” have reemerged here in a composite form in “Shooting Star”, an impressive 8 minute plus exercise in consonant atmosphere, princely vocals and mean speed riffing. Perhaps the biggest glaring flaw in this album is the fact that this song is the best one on here, in essence climaxing right at the beginning, in spite of amazing music continuing on throughout. Similarly, the lone instrumental from part 1 has been turned into another full length fit of melodic speed and glory in “The Morning’s Call”, containing a similar combination of keyboard themes and echoing guitar effects. Actually, if you listen to this album from start to finish, there are obvious parallels from one song to the next with that of the original “Return To Heaven Denied” that leap right out of the speakers.

One could go point by point down the line of great moments to be found on here, but generally speaking, this is an album that speaks for itself. The familiar mixture of German speed metal influences ala Helloween, early USPM/progressive tendencies of Fates Warning with Ray Adler at the helm, and keyboard drenched shred of Malmsteen and Stratovarius is back with a vengeance here, perhaps underscored by the great remake of Yngwie’s 80s classic “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget”. For anyone who felt disenfranchised by either the lackluster production of “Sons Of Thunder”, the hit or miss tendencies of “Labyrinth”, or the horrors that followed, this is the band’s musical redemption. Provided that something doesn’t come along to send Thorsten packing yet again, the future is bright for this band, not to mention for anyone who plans on picking up this album.

Originally submitted to (www.metal-observer.com) on March 16, 2011.

While the concept of the 'sequel' in metal is mostly now a stale looking move that earns weary ire for a possible cash grab, there will always be musical moments out there worth revisiting with a fresh outlook. Enter 'A Midnight Autumn's Dream', the follow up to Labyrinth's popular sophomore effort, 'Return to Heaven Denied', released in 1998 to wide acclaim. 'Return..', as it's predecessor, 'No Limits', fused the power-by-way-of-speed-metal stylings of bands such as Stratovarius with a darker feel, more progressive and atmospheric elements, and a fresh take on the neoclassical metal guitar that operated as a tool to open up the heart and sky rather than a vehicle for invoking the Baroque with little room to breathe. Though many other melody-driven power metal bands were often concentrating on olden lands of high fantasy, Labyrinth conjured the world of dreams and matters of the heart. The passionate, smooth toned, soaring vocals of Roberto Tiranti, the dueling, tube-driven riff 'n shred of Andreas Cantarelli and Olaf Thorsen's guitars, and the prog-minded, futuristic keys of Andrea de Paoli served as the nucleus that propelled the sweeping, emotional anthems of 'Return...' from great to classic. One more album afterward, and Olaf Thorsen left to focus on Vision Divine, leaving Labyrinth's newer material to be unfairly subjugated to constant calls to return to the atmosphere of the old dreamlands, despite the band consistently putting out more progressive and fresh sounding and feeling material. With the man back on board and the second installment of 'Return..' released, most would expect nothing more than a nostalgia trip. Thankfully, 'A Midnight Autumn's Dream' is not a mere shadow of it's older twin - it channels the same emotions and atmospheres perfectly while managing to retain much of what Labyrinth has accomplished since Thorsen's original departure. While the album is instantly recognizable as an addition to the world of Labyrinth's first two albums, what it really is as a whole is most of the best of every album from the band's career rolled up into a big, glorious package of soaring melodies, romance, power, and longing, fueled by blood-pumping musicianship and unchained, utterly focused songwriting. As with their others before this, Labyrinth brings elements and emotions that many in metal would label disparate at best, and effortlessly fuses them with a classic progressive-minded power metal ethos that comes off completely realized. The too-real and the surreal have always co-existed as cornerstones of different expressions and projections in heavy metal, and here this band is one of the rare few who seamlessly weave the two together.

'A Midnight Autumn's Dream' opens with 'The Shooting Star', which brands itself an instant classic of the band's catalog as the familiar melody carried over from 'Moonlight' off the first installment gives way to a punchy main riff and runs full speed ahead through viciously memorable vocal lines, pausing for a huge hook in the prechorus before the chorus explodes - punctuated the second time around by a glass-shattering scream by Tiranti - and then runs a gamut of shredding leads with extra doses of soul. From the first note to the last of the opener, the album wastes no time bringing the listener right to the middle of some hazy dreamworld as evoked on the album art, the only place where the two soulmates of the concept can be together, even while eluding the masters of the domain for just a little more time. While the concept was well accomplished in a musical sense on the first 'Return..', and only fairly well done in the lyrical sense due to the band's rough grasp of English, the lyrics here are many times improved on, and are wonderfully instrumental in moving the songwriting and concept along with stirring the listener.

Although 'The Shooting Star' is a colossal start to the album, nothing thereafter really lets up in quality and intensity. 'The Chance' is another fast power metal anthem, followed by 'Like Shadows in the Dark', both of which underline Labyrinth's mastery of dynamic, multi-climatic songwriting achieved solely by chops rather than any kind of gimmick that would downplay the full band's input. The former surprises with an incredible huge synth breakdown after the triumphant chorus, that recalls Labyrinth's influence from electronic music and exceeds in delight of the odd-on-paper hybrid of sound, while the latter is a soulful ballad/prog metal hybrid that keeps the listener guessing at the nature of the superb verse and chorus melodies as Tiranti exhibits a perfect blend of technique and feel over shimmering clean guitar and icy keyboard lines, then comes back one last time for a ghostly refrain near the end that just tops off the composition.

Small touches like the aforementioned refrain, elaborating on an already brilliant chorus, help make the album sparkle and shine from beginning to end. New drummer Alessandro Bissa mostly plays it safe with patterns that 'fit the song', but often plays them in ways that are just off-kilter enough to really bring the style and sound to new levels, approaching rhythms from a different point of view at times that bring the music a greater sense of intimacy. There are numerous, small references to the band's first two albums that dwell in the same conceptual pool - 'Sailors of Time' quotes a motif from 'Piece of Time' off the 'No Limits' album before returning to a seriously solid mid-paced anthem - and the guitar work, a major anchor of the album, constantly entertains a competition with the vocal lines for the most melodic, most memorable, and most passionate element in any song. Not a single note in a single riff or lead sounds wasted, and the two players work their way through flawless legato lines into aching, bend-affected strings of notes at the drop of a hat with the same effectiveness. In addition, there are constant dual-guitar lines that confidently ride over some of the main riffs where there is room, contributing additional hooks to the melodic brew. Unfortunately, Roberto Tiranti's vocals seem slightly 'beneath' the otherwise punchy mix at times, but he is by no means buried. Although he is not the main force in some of the songs - which is merely an aftereffect of the beefed up instrumentation - each line is still delivered with masterful conviction and full of the nuances that make a simple verse into a defining melodic moment. Ultimately, the album is yet another gallery of his culminative experience in singing metal, R&B, pop, even opera, and bringing Labyrinth's compositions to life with his individual style and talent for taking hold of a melody.

On through the album, the flow remains remarkable. The title track injects new heart and soul - and an extra injection of heavy prog - into what might otherwise be considered a run-of-the-mill ballad formula, and the last three songs, ending with 'A Painting On The Wall', showcase more of the experimental elements introduced on the 'Freeman' album, with some more straightforward heavy metal influence melding with multiple tempo changes and a down-to-earth feel that still retains the band's trademark melodicism and keyboard work. As the album closes with an airy synth recall of the opening notes from 'Falling Rain' off of the first 'Return..', the expertise, workmanship, and passion poured into the latest addition to the Labyrinth discography is almost intimidatingly apparent. 'A Midnight Autumn's Dream' is as close to perfect as many albums get, and highly recommended.


Originally submitted to rateyourmusic.com by MYSELF.

Labyrinth's opus magnum Return to Heaven Denied was released over a decade ago and is an incredibly high rated album by most listeners. Part 2 is a very logical but predictable successor to the original. Labyrinth take the formula of the original and features many acknowledgements to its predecessor but they still produce music that is stand alone majestic at parts that nearly any listener can enjoy. While this album is solid it doesn't quite reach the levels it could of due to songs not being as strong nor as memorable as the original source material.

For those who have not heard the original Return to Heaven Denied, this release is a very vocal melody based power metal album. There are still many great guitar riffs and solos in the style that the power metal genre is known for but the album shines when the backing instruments especially the keyboard are used in an atmospheric way to complement the vocals e.g A Midnight Autumn's Dream chorus.

Roberto Tiranti's vocals are quite high but are always spot on, are never ridiculously over done and always fit context to the emotions and the moods that the songs are trying to portray. His vocals especially during the ballad parts of the album give off a romantic aura that sometimes make you feel so entranced with the music that you forget that you're listen to a metal album, it is definitely a strong positive.

Not the entire album is exclusively vocally based though, the riffs of some of the speedier and more heavier songs e.g Princess of the Night or To Where We Belong could fit some of the lighter speed/thrash metal bands in the world. The solos have neo-classical vibes comparable to Rhapsody that show off Andrea's and Olaf's technical ability without being pretentious.

Some issues that makes the sequel fall short compared to the original are the drums and song identity. The first issue is that the drums are adequate during slow segments but are really grating, repetitive and unimaginative through fast paced parts that you can most likely predict what pattern the drummer will use during your first listen. The bass is virtually non-existent. The second main issue is that material on this album will either stick in your memory easily e.g The Shooting Star or be completely absent until a myriad of listens later e.g In This Void, The Morning's Call. The last main issue that despite some of the great material on this album a majority of it simply put just isn't as good as Return to Heaven Denied!

Even without any comparisons Return to Heaven Denied Part 2: A Midnight Autumn's Dream is a respectable album by Labyrinth that is no doubt their best since their self titled, perhaps even Sons of Thunder. As a return to their true power metal form it delivers without question but is just not as impacting as its forefather album. If you loved the original you will want to grab this straight away, just be weary that you will know exactly what to expect with little surprises. General fans of power metal with an emphasis on melody who aren't afraid of a bit of romanticism in their metal should check this effort out without delay!

From about 1995 when they released their original Piece of Time EP through 2001's Sons of Thunder, Labyrinth were an Italian band on a mission, writing some pretty good power/progressive material for their first three full-lengths. After that, they seemed to fall off course with the s/t, Freeman and 6 Days to Nowhere. None of these were necessarily bad, mind you, but the band's decision to explore beyond the more straightforward sound they had used to break out of the underground would not necessarily reward them. Apparently this was the idea going into Return to Heaven Denied Pt. II, because it's a sequel to the original 1998 album, which in my opinion remains their strongest overall work.

The band still has much of the original lineup from that album, including Rob Tyrant, Olaf Thorsen, and the two Andreas, but the drummer is new, Alessandro Bissa, a natural choice coming in to replace Mat from Vision Divine and other Italian acts with a similar sound to Labyrinth. The cover art is similar to the original album, as well as the production and overall feel of the writing. Unfortunately, one of the flaws with the original was that the deeper you moved into the record, the less interesting the tracks would become. The musicianship and performances were not to blame, only a lack of truly memorable material. I feel like, in this way, Part II is a repeat, and since the material is just not as good in the first place, we're left without another album in which the attention span can quickly grow tired and lost. Perhaps the band's moniker is only too fitting...

The opening track "The Shooting Star" borrows the beautiful melodic lead-in from "Moonlight", the opener of the original album, and places it against a slightly different context. I was very happy that Labyrinth acknowledged this, since it's one of their best songs, but it also builds up a rather large expectation which "The Shooting Star" cannot pass. Still, the band's fluid rhythms and instrumental dominance is once again revealed, and there are a few exciting licks. They follow this one with "A Chance", which is a quite well paced melodic speed metal track with small flourishes of synthesized atmosphere, with a dreamlike segue of clean guitars and moodier vocals that mirrors the good old Dream Theater style. "Like Shadows in the Dark" makes a heavy use of piano along with its mid paced, steady escalation, with some chugging rhythms that adorn the leads.

The rest of the album continues along this very same course, all extremely loyal to the original 1998 album, with a mix of faster, energetic pieces like "Princess of the Night" and "To Where We Belong", and then the inevitable power ballad title track. Each song has notable melodic characteristics and a mix of tempos, with plenty of ground in which Andreas de Paoli can wander. Tyrant has a generally good performance on the record, though there are a few points in which he shifts to a more girlish pitch that sounds a little too over the top. The major issue is that the album really doesn't ever go for the throat. The songs are all tidy and perky enough to gain your attentions, but most of the actual riffs themselves, both guitar and synthesizer, seem familiar and safe. The leads are crafty throughout, but I can't help but feel they are more about the 'exercise' of inclusion than emotional outbursts.

If Labyrinth just wanted to re-establish themselves to the standards they set in their career through the mid to late 90s, then Return to Heaven Denied Pt. II does exactly that. The original was my favorite album, and I still listen to a song like "Moonlight" today, a welcome addition to any prog/power mix I'd pass along to a friend. Unfortunately, there are no songs quite at that level on this recording. As consistent as the band is, nothing really leaps off the sonic screen here to engage you beyond just a pleasant, inoffensive album of its nature. I was very excited that the band were coming out with this, but I don't feel it's all that much better than the last few efforts. I guess I'll just have to wait for the inevitable Sons of Thunder Pt. II...

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com