Year : 1992 (Alone Records Edition 2019)
Style : Heavy Metal , Power Metal
Country : Canada
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 135 mb
Bio:
Zions Abyss was formed in 1989 in Edmonton, Alberta.The album T.A.L.E.S. was released in 1991.There are currently 3 surviving members of this band as the guitar player Andy Waitkus died in a tragic car accident in 1995.A second album was in the works at this time and remains incomplete. However, due to recent positive interest in the music, we are considering future possibilities for completing this project. Andy and Eddy had just come out of their previous band Winterkill, Mike from Legs Diamond, and Klaus from Renaissance. Zions Abyss recorded "T.A.L.E.S." between August '90 and January '91 at Platinum Recording Studios, Edmonton. The album was later mixed in Anvil Studios. The band played the Western Canadian bar circuit for roughly five years until their split.On September 27, 1996, Andy Waitkus died in an automobile accident in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was alone with his dog at the time.
Album:
Eh what matters more quality or quantity? Canada has produced but a scant few (that I know of) bands in the USPM tradition, but they are of the utmost highest caliber. More on those bands later but right now let me tell you some T.A.L.E.S. of Zions Abyss. They are one of these bands, they hail from the mighty city of Edmonton and play a classy style of power metal with a touch of prog. They've gotten comparisons to Crimson Glory and Queensryche but they are far too heavy for such comparisons, having more in common with early Fates Warning than anything else.This commonality shines through immediately in Sorrow On The Horizon with its upper register chorus that is hard not to sing along to. There's also a banquet of those melodically aggressive riffs this sub-genre is known for courtesy of Andy Waitkus. Notice how Mr. Waitkus is constantly throwing twists at his riffs like the inspired Jim Matheos of old and his tone is thick and crunchy. He also shreds his way through solo after solo with melodic abandon, not just on this song but all over this album.Every song on here is good so I won't describe them all but Final Command is the most '80s-style power metal tune on here. Again Andy demonstrates how much of a riff monster he is, note the way he varies the initial riff after playing it for a few bars. Then there's Klaus Whissel's vocals which pierce the sky to turn around and descend upon us with a vengeance! He comfortably hits the stratosphere in his natural range, especially at the end of this song over top of Andy's crushing riffs that get expanded upon even further. And what a voice on Klaus, there's a distinct '80s tone to it but the man is truly one of a kind.The infectiousness of Zions Abyss's songwriting is non-stop throughout the disc's running time but Running Out Of Time particularly stands out as the one that could have been a radio hit. Fans of Uriah Heep might appreciate the end of this one, with identical lyrics and similar vocal melodies to the end of Heep’s Circle of Hands, only more incendiary.Scarred For Life and Changing Sands are two ballads that follow each other. It’s not very often a band could get away with back-to-back ballads and not bore the listener, but when they’re this diverse they can. The former track carves personalities into stone with beautiful solos and acoustics mixed with power chords. An emotional response is roused by Klaus’s impassioned cries decreeing: Once scarred, you’re scarred for life The black of winter, the death so white.It's not just the guitars and vocals that convey such powerful emotions. The bass and drums help round out the sound by balancing technical precision with emotional resonance. This is a well-rounded album, even the lyrical contributions match the music by combining brains with brawn. Mercenary for example, has a tone of dry romance to it. Many bands cover this subject matter, but some do it in a cartoonish way. Laying with a woman is not as glorious as going to war.This entire album just slays from beginning to end and what better way to end it than the nightmarish epic Forever Alive, a blood-chilling (pun intended) tale if ever there was. It goes from a thrashy beginning to an uneasy clean guitar section where eerie crooning and quietly echoed background voices make their ghastly presence felt. The terror builds and builds until a sinister riff comes bludgeoning at you with: Vials of blood from witches veins Skulls of criminals gone insane. Oh Canada, your metal scene has given the world a few great bands. From the thrashy Eidolon to the traditional Sword, from the airy Kingsbane to the cosmic Sacred Blade. Then there's False Witness and Dead Calm who, as contemporaries of Zions Abyss, have more in common with them than the other bands I just mentioned. Many good bands (and not just metal ones) have emerged out of the North but Zions Abyss are the only ones that throw a fucking skull through the wall.
Line Up:
Klaus Whissel - Vocals
Mike Plummer - Bass, Vocals (backing)
Andy Waitkus - Guitars, Vocals (backing) (R.I.P. 1996)
Eddy Zern - Drums
Tracklist:
01. Madness 01:28 instrumental
02. Sorrow on the Horizon 06:06
03. Final Command 03:36
04. Darkest Dream 04:46
05. Running Out of Time 04:52
06. Scarred for Life 06:08
07. Changing Sands 06:18
08. Time Traveller 04:50
09. Son of Sam 05:27
10. Mercenary 04:13
11. Forever Alive 07:06
12. Serenity 01:48
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