|
|
|
|
Wicked Maraya are a band I'd never heard of until recently. The song "Another Day" was playing on one of those Music Choice channels that some cable providers offer these days and I really liked what I heard. So, I hopped on the eBay train and it lead me right to this CD, roundtrip fare: $4.99. They play a mid-paced form of dark, old school rock/metal with Lou Falco doing a superb job on vocals in the traditional hard rock vein with some upper-register wails and a few more guttural screams. The best thing about this CD are the songs, though. They're extremely catchy and well-crafted. There is nothing mind-blowing about this disc, the twin guitar leads are great, but not amazing, as is the overall musicianship of the band. As mentioned before, the vocals are done extremely well, but this is no Geoff Tate (though the singer does have a few resembling moments). So, that leaves you with the songs themselves; individually the band is nothing spectacular, but as a whole they've managed to put together a collection of killer metal tunes. If you like some of the heavier rock bands from the 80's that toyed on the edge of full-blown metal then you should definitely give Wicked Maraya a try, if you come across the CD. If this album were released today, it would have already earned a slot on my Best Of 2005 list!
After this album and a successful European tour, the band dropped the "Wicked" from their name and continued on for two more albums as simply Maraya. Unfortunately the music changed, the band traded in their long hair and all-around metal look for short-crops and a more fashionable mainstream style of dress. Luckily they didn't rap, but the style of music drastically changed into a more upbeat, radio-friendly alternative rock sound. This wouldn't be so bad if the songs were actually good. At best, they're mediocre. Cycles, though, is a great metal album that you should definitely check out; an overlooked treasure. They disbanded in 1999 and the singer is now in a cover band in Florida called Funkette...seriously (see link).
| Tracklist |
| 1. Another Day |
| 2. Jacob's Dance |
| 3. Resurrection |
| 4. Face In The Mirror |
| 5. Johny |
| 6. Watching Over |
| 7. Alone |
| 8. Winter's Garden |
| 9. Forever |
| 10. Sign Of Heaven |
| 11. The Legacy |
: 46.22
| Buy other Wicked Maraya albums |
