In addition to my enduring fondness for all-things NWOBHM I’m also a bit of a sucker for a “concept album”. So when I heard about good old Saxon man Biff Byford providing the vocals for a science fiction themed album film soundtrack thingy it was impossible to resists. A concept album with a New Wave of British Heavy Metal connection.
So we have The Scintilla Project – Biff and various buddies. It’s all related to a sci-fi film released earlier this year (its Boxing Day 2014 as I type). Some hokum about alien DNA, experiments with that on human subjects (hence the Hybrid sub-title) in some bunker in a Soviet state or something like that. Sounds like an X-Files episode, right?
But the music here. For what was a speculative purchase based on Biff and the concept album bit I wasn’t expecting too much but what the hell. I through the letter box it came, cellophane ripped off, in to the CD player it went.
WOW. Instant album of the year. Oh yes. Really. Quite a remarkable slab of music which is a combination of straight ahead heavy metal yet progressive and symphonic all at the same time. Biff growls up a storm. His rangy vocals compliment what’s going on very well indeed.
The guitars chug away, they keyboards come to the fore in the right places and provide a great backwash of sound adding to the prog/symphonic edge. The rhythm section do their job to fine effect too especially Lionel Hicks on the drums. Very Scott Rockenfeld.
I fact it does remind one in the style of Queensryche in their prime. Operation Mindcrime/Rage for Order/Empire period. Also reminiscent of stuff Arjen Lucassen is so good at – think Star One for example.
Instant satisfaction from first to last note. Very powerful stuff indeed. Every track is very solid. No filler going on here. The riffs, the hooks the solos, everything is strong and the whole thing fits together tightly. There simply is nothing not to like.
It’s been on repeat in the car with me for a week since it arrived. A powerful, pleasurable listen which tells the story through very well crafted heavy/progressive metal and a band on top, top form. I’ve never been a big fan of Saxon though here Biff shows he has much more of a range than perhaps some might have thought over the years. Listen to Permanence for example.
A phenomenal debut effort make no mistake. Let’s hope it is not a one-off. A NWOBHM-connected sci-fi concept album which seriously delivers. Strongly recommended for metal/prog metal fans anywhere.
>> SCINTILLA PROJECT ON AMAZON <<
Coming next: Nth Ascension
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