2023 sees Danish prog-power juggernaut, Pyramaze return with their 7th album, Bloodlines, and what a long strange trip it has been. Starting out as a highly melodic, polished power metal band, they released two excellent platters with Lance King at the mic. Legend of the Bone Carver in particular was a sick beast of a platter that should get far more attention than it does. They then shifted into something akin to Iced Earthcore when Matt Barlow joined for Immortal, and after a 7-year gap they returned as a kind of alt-rock, prog act led by Terje Harøy for Disciples of the Sun. Since then the lineup stabilized and a series of releases have tinkered around the edges of the Disciples sound with mostly positive results. Bloodlines of the fourth release with Terje and they continue to strive for highly melodic, super memorable moments walking the line between prog metal and poppy alt-rock. When they nail their unique formula, big things can happen. So, how do their brewing skills fare on Bloodlines? Let’s taste.
After a typically fluffy and Broadway-ready interlude, Bloodlines launches into a very good run of songs showcasing The strengths of the Pyramaze blueprint. “Taking What’s Mine” is the modern-day Pyramaze sound in all its rock-meets-metal-meets-pop glory. It’s shiny, overly polished and has notes of prog, symphonic power metal, alt-rock and radio nonsense, and thanks to some solid writing and a knack for big choruses, they pull it off and make it stick in your head like a railroad spike. Terje Harøy owns songs like this, using his ample range to power the anthems into your brain and make them stay. “Fortress” is of the same ilk – highly engaging and memorable, and “Broken Arrow” is the biggest “hit” here, with their cinematic sound working well with Terje’s vocals and when the chorus hits, it sticks like hot tar to a Boston tax collector. I keep replaying this one and Madam X really wants me to stop. Sappier and cheesier is “Even if You’re Gone” but somehow it still wiggles into your brain pan unwanted and that chorus is annoyingly resilient.
The album doesn’t hit a bump until the big power ballad “Alliance” where Terje teams up with Melissa Bonny of The Dark Side of the Moon. Both have excellent voices and they mesh well together, and the song is decent but very stock standard and never hits that next level of essential listening. While “Midnight Sun” and “Stop the Bleeding” are both good tunes, the album winds out with the somewhat lackluster “Mystery” and then a long, rather pointless musical interlude called “Wolves of the Sea” that sounds like the stuff that runs over a film’s end credits. It just kinda drifts by, pretty but empty, like John Tesh dinner party music with a bit more zing. This ends Bloodlines with a whimper and all things considered, it’s a very frontloaded platter.
Pyramaze are a highly talented bunch and since getting Terje on board they’ve found their sound and style. He’s a tremendous vocalist who can sound great in pretty much any medium or genre. His delivery is what tips many of the songs from good to very good and he’s gifted at making vocal lines hum. Jacob Hansen (ex-Anubis Gate) is a good guitarist and his playing is generally very understated, taking a backseat to Jonah Weingarten’s omnipresent sparkling keyboard and piano work. He’s the brains behind this outfit and his playing is a big part of the Pyramaze sound but he can overdo the keys at times and make everything feel too slick, polished, and corporate market-tested.
Overall, Bloodlines is another pretty, glossy Pyramaze product about three-quarters full of good, memorable tunes and there’s some chaff to round things out. It’s not quite as consistent as Epitaph, but when it hits a groove, it will impress. I would prefer less gloss and more punch, but this is the Pyramaze of 2023 and it’s still plenty entertaining.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AFM
Websites: pyramaze.com | facebook.com/Pyramaze
Releases Worldwide: June 23rd, 2023
