To Beyond of the Infinity

Gaia Prelude is an instrumental power metal band from Japan. Given how badly they've mangled the title of the release, I suppose I'm glad that this band doesn't have any lyrics to fuck up. And, hey, at least now I don't have to listen to another nasally, oddly-accented Japanese vocalist!

What we have here is standard neo-classical power metal, minus the vocals. The song structures are pretty standard, which is odd for an instrumental band; most vocal-less bands rely on progressive structures/rhythms to avoid being boring. There are "choruses" (guitar leads), "verses" (solos), and "solos" (more solos!). Each song features a catchy repeated lead which functions to tie the song together so it doesn't just become a mindless stream of solos. That's not to say that solos aren't the main attraction, though. Both the guitars and the keyboards have multiple solos in every song (save the ballads).

You can't fault the instrumental skill of this band. Both the guitarist and keyboardist know what they're doing. The keyboardist, when not decimating your ears with a solo, lays down a nice symphonic backdrop which perfectly frames the theme of the music. The bassist and drummer are also talented, but they don't get to show off nearly as much as the other two members of the band. This surprised me, since the addition of bass and drum solos would really help this album hold the listener's attention. Better riffs would also have helped this album; standard power chords are what's in store for the listener, and that's never very interesting.

Most of the songs here are great, but there are a few duds. The ballad "Cry For..." is not good. Six minutes is too long for how much melodic substance there is. There are some solos as well; their presence seems out of place until you consider what type of music this band plays. I doubt the guitarist could go an entire song without playing at least one or two high-speed solos. The other ballad, "Memories", is pretty much a repeat of the first ballad with slightly different melodies. I don't really make a distinction between these two tracks, since they are both so forgettable. The other lacking tracks are the intro and outro, the latter of which consists solely of acoustic guitar. I appreciate the variety, but this album should have ended with a bang, not a whimper. "Legend and Glory" would have made a perfect album-closer.

Don't get me wrong: despite the bad tracks, this album is definitely worth your while. The faster tracks absolutely rock without fail. It can be somewhat boring if you aren't a fan of shred to begin with, but this is a good power metal album in its own right. Vocals would just get in the way here. If you are a fan of melodic power metal, or just like to hear some good instrumental work, this album is right up your alley.