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Phoenix Reign are a New York-based metal band with a sound rooted heavily in late 70's and 80's rock. This 4 song EP — recorded in 2003 and packaged DVD style which is definitely and eye-catcher — features some crafty guitar work, some classic Iron Maiden moments and excellent hooks, but unfortunately a lot of this is overshadowed by the dreadful production. I wouldn't have been surprised if the back of this EP read "Recorded & Mixed Inside a Trash Can" because that's what it sounds like. Theresa Gaffney is a capable vocalist with nice voice, but too often she sounds a little flat and falls short of sounding great. It's almost as if when she was recording her vocals someone was sleeping and she didn't want to wake them, so she just held back a little bit instead of just giving that little extra bit of "oomph." I've done this myself while recording at home and because of holding back just a little what you essentially hear is potential and that's basically what you get with this EP.
This band has potential, at moments they sound like the almighty Iron Maiden and at others they sound like Heart. The songs are well-structured with some great leads, the hooks are catchy and the musicianship is great, but there is still something missing to make this a standout EP. Make note, though, that this EP was done two years ago and it seems that the band does have a pretty big following so these shortcomings may very well be a part of the past. If you're interested in hearing a band that encompasses the stylings of traditional metal with the hooks of 80's rock then you should definitely check them out. I expect to hear much better things from this band in the future.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Another Night Alone |
| 2. Power |
| 3. Shredder |
| 4. One More Rendezvous |
: 19.48
| Buy other Phoenix Reign albums |
