'Flying Beyond The 9' - A Preview.

Last week I was fortunate enough to receive a 3 track demo of James Byrd's forthcoming album 'Flying Beyond The 9'.  The 3 tracks in question are only 'session-mixes' so only give a rough idea of how the final tracks will sound, although James has told me that these 3 are mostly completed and won't change a great deal for the album.  Even though this is only a demo and yet to get a proper mix  it must be said that this is clearly the best material Byrd has  involved himself with and the production is also looking to be the best of his career.

 

1. BEYOND THE 9.
A strong driving riff is accentuated by full orchestration in the form of tubular bells, keyboards and string section.  Over this backdrop Byrd's unmistakable guitar work punches through the mix before the track calms for the start of the verse.  Here just vocals and harpsichord create a classical feel [reminiscent of Symphony X] before the rest of the band powers in to a full blooded majestic roar.  The vocal lines are very imaginative and original but yet retain a strong melodic edge that makes them just hang in your brain after a few spins.  The solo is breathtaking, while brief it contains everything you would expect from Byrd, great note choice and vibrato, but the guitar sound is something else here - so pure yet screaming for your attention.  

2. NEVERMORE.
A big church organ beckons your attention before Byrd laces some more superlative and beautiful neo-classical lines over the top. Again a big bold entrance that builds and finally resolves for the verse.  The tempo is relatively slow but this just makes the track all the more classier and stronger.  Lyrically the track focuses on material reality.  The fallen world we all reside in goes on.  Between fears of apocalyptic sudden destruction, and a beautiful new age, lies another Tuesday afternoon filled with the usual.  These tracks are very 'visual' in the sense that you can picture a lone figure in a huge Cathedral singing aloud all his troubles and questions for the powers that be.  While light beams from stained glass windows help give him answers and somehow help resolve his next move.  Musically the track is again overflowing with imaginative ideas that are not heard everyday - especially in the metal genre - yet they still have a commerciality to them that makes them irresistible, the often complex harmonic ideas translate extremely well through the speakers while the counterpoints make the grandeur even more obvious.  The track ends with the intro organ piece, this time solo and makes the visions of light through ancient stained glassed windows even clearer. 

3. AVIANTI SUITE Op.1 No 63.
Now this is truly going to blow away Byrd's guitar fans.  Entirely instrumental in the same setting at Yngwie's 'Concerto', that's right JB with an orchestra!!  Words simply cannot sum up the beauty and royal ness of this track.  Every melody is just right, every phrase, note and little inflection is just perfect.  The orchestra I think is wholly keyboard based yet still sounds 100% real and authentic.  The mood of the track runs from light flirting almost humorous lines to dark, deep and complex passages - every base is touched and every one comes away victorious.  Byrd's guitar tone is again something to behold - no excess distortion, just TONE that sings, weeps, moans and roars - everything is clearly audible and truly it is magnificent.  Byrd's instrumental masterpiece.

 

Overall this demo has just made my appetite for the final album almost too much to bare!  Not only is this Byrd's best material to date, it is looking like being some of the best, original music the metal world has heard for a long long time.  Gone is the more streamlined, more traditional style of albums like 'Atlantis Rising' and 'The Apocalypse Chime' to be replaced by a style that is much much more.... breathtaking.

This is almost classical music done the modern way and bears no resemblance to artists that may imply.  This is more left field than that and rightly deserves a standing on its own pedestal where it can bask in its own glory as a triumphant original achievement in an increasingly sterile musical world.  This album still has huge commercial potential, the vocal melodies are so addictive and the grooves just manifest themselves deep into your grey matter.  Quite simply the album looks like being something truly special indeed.

Preview by Andy Craven.