Ian Parry continues his ongoing Consortium Project series of connected concept-based albums with a sixth chapter titled Legacy of Empires.
As usual, it’s a masterful slice of progressive metal with symphonic tendencies.
Ian’s been around for decades now going back to the likes of Elegy. He got the Consortium Project off the ground back in 1999 enlisting (as the name suggests) a host of well-known names to join him on that album and over the five following albums, the fifth being the superb Species in 2011.
That was (at the time) supposed to be the final chapter. Now fifteen years later we have a sixth offering which can be thought of, I think, as a prequel to the story.
As with the previous five Consortium Project albums, Legacy of Empires bristles with energy and pace.
Ian’s voice is magnificent as always. Controlled and powerful. Vanden Plas guitarist Stephan Lil returns to provide the main guitar load with the monster riffing and spectacular solos. He and Ian combine so well.
All sorts of other people crop up as Consortium members to provide their contributions resulting in an album of top class, sweeping, epic atmospheric sounding prog metal.
The synths and keys swell up the sound and come to the fore when required. The drumming gives interesting rhythmic patterns gelling with the busy, melodic basslines. The drumming on A Kingdom for Heroes pushes things on at pace and Lil shreds as if his life depended on it.
Here’s the video:
Tracks such as A Declaration of Independence, Gods from the Heavens Above and The Burden of Truth are crushingly heavy with all the necessary ingredients. Ian’s always had an ear for a melody and brings that in too.
Examples being Pyramids of Power and the slower, piano/acoustic based closer of Nature’s Eyes.
Not only has Ian kept up the high standard throughout the six album span of the Consortium Project, Legacy of Empires easily stands up with the likes of Dream Theater, Vanden Plas, Symphony X and similar.
Properly superior progressive metal with symphonics, power and atmosphere. Do check this one out and the preceding five albums in the series.
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