(by Velina of “My Rock Mixtapes”)
Ready for a big hardcore punch that will inevitably lead to enormous satisfaction both mental and physical. I’ve always said that the best kind of music is the one that affects both your brain and body and results in the ultimate eargasm. This album right here is the kind of album you gotta listen to if you just want to be transferred to a different dimension and really want to be taken out of your comfort musical zone!
Sons of Apollo is no joke. Don’t expect any sentimental radio-oriented tracks or cheesy pop rock statements. “Psychotic Symphony” is a meaningful, highly sophisticated piece of progressive metal, packed with A-to-Z qualities, including flaming guitar solos, mind-crushing vocals and of course – fierce synthesizers, aiding to that modern-day feel.
I’ve been a fan of Jeff Scott Soto (Journey, Yngwie Malmsteen‘s Rising Force, etc.) since forever and I know that whatever he does, he does it with passion and confidence and this album is no exception. With respect to everyone who got involved in this project, his vocals are in my opinion the heart and soul of “Psychotic Symphony” and the reason why I’m here, talking about it. He is a monster-vocalist and I bet you don’t need me to convince you otherwise.
I won’t go into details about the album because for a first time in a while I’ve been left speechless. “God of the Sun” is one of my favorite openers this year; the 11-minute tornado of a song is a clear highlight and how can it not be with that speed, intensity and lyrics (another Greek-inspired theme). “Sings of the Times” is my ultimate number 1 song from this release – that intro knocked my socks off (it’s my new ringtone by the way). You can’t have an album like this one without an instrumental now can you? But then again, “Opus Maximus” is not your ordinary instrumental. Good luck stopping it once you hit the play! “Alive” and “Lost in Oblivion” are pure madness! I am absolutely in love with the way the playlist was crafted – it’s all very well thought of and every song has its own place, contributing to the overall atmosphere of the album. I mean, you can just consider it as one song, actually; it’s indeed a progressive metal album but there’s just so much more to it than that – it’s progressive, it’s classic, it’s hard, it’s loud! What a punch in the face! Guitars are stunning too – Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal is the king of the explosive riff and guitar culminations on this one!
I have to say – this genre is not my cup of tea and I don’t play it on a daily basis but you know – there are rules to every exception and my exception is “Psychotic Symphony”. Grab your copy now!
“Sings of the Times”
“Coming Home”
“Lost in Oblivion”
Tracklist:
- God of The Sun
- Coming Home
- Signs of the Time
- Labyrinth
- Alive
- Lost In Oblivion
- Figaro’s Whore
- Divine Addiction
- Opus Maximus
I remember the first time I heard Slaughter – it was on one of those ballad compilation albums and the song was, of course, “Fly to the Angels”. The progress was natural because let’s face it, there’s no way you can listen to that gorgeous song and don’t ask for more! I got their debut album, 
1990 is long gone but thankfully, Mark Slaughter is still making music, as good as he did over 25 years ago. The band is also currently active, participating in concerts and touring around the States. The ‘90s were, however, Slaughter’s busiest and with that, most successful period of their career. Once the new decade kicked in, vocalist and songwriter Mark Slaughter started exploring other musical directions, including DJ-ing, voice-acting, music composing for TV shows and others. It took Mark Slaughter some time before he officially embarked on a solo musical journey. First, he released a single track, then a digital-only album and now, we can finally purchase and enjoy a full-length solo record, titled “Halfway There”. The special 10-track album (11 in Japan) hit the music market on the 26th of May via EMP Label Group (a US-based label owned by David Ellefson, Megadeth bassist) and let me tell you something – it hit it hard! I really missed that classic, Slaughter sound and Mark is just bringing it all back on this album – that and way way way more! “Halfway There” is a worthy progression and obvious artistic evolution for him but with a little bit of old-school hint. It was a pleasure for me to listen to it from start to finish and I hope after reading this article, you will grab the album if you haven’t done it yet.
The album kick things off with the mighty rock anthem “Hey You” which just begs to be played live. I can imagine it – the crowd screaming together with Mark this captivating chant, “Hey You, All Hands up, Rock & Roll Forever!” What an opener! We move on to “Devoted” which is even more powerful and aggressive than the first one; I swear, this entire album is one punch in the stomach after another! “Supernatural” brings us back to Mark Slaughter‘s more melodic, radio-friendly appeal with its funky rhythms and cheerful vocal delivery. The fourth track is the monumental title song which in my humble opinion has to be the highlight on “Halfway There” and that’s not just because I love ballads. Flawless vocals, striking personal lyrics and don’t you even get me started on the composition; this song left me speechless! “Conspiracy” and “Reckless” are two other tracks to watch out for. The dangerous guitar-driven “Conspiracy” is one of the heaviest, most destructive tracks on “Halfway There”; “Reckless” on the other hand is a straight-up classic rock tune, fueled with mind-blowing riffs that just make your head spin! What an experience! The album wraps things up in a gentle manner with the bluesy, modern-style “Not Here” which impresses with quality solos and of course, Mark‘s soul-soothing, lullaby-like vocal delivery.
MY ROCK MIXTAPES 