BYRD - FLYING BEYOND THE 9 (review #2)

James Byrd is no stranger to innovation. He helped revolutionize the metal world with his creation of the 'light' power metal disc, Fifth Angel at the dawn of the 1980s, which re-aligned the foundations for the fledging genre and allowed the bands that followed in the wake of the wings of the 'Angel to take flight in a different direction than what would have been possible prior to the laying down of these preliminary blueprints. Byrd has also made improvements in guitar design, holding many patents for his accomplishments. Now James has set out to sweep the metal industry off its feet again with a disc that has been hailed over the past year or so as being the one to blow listeners away with "Symphonic Metal for the New Age" and give new meaning to the term guitar hero....

Which leads us to the outstanding fact of the album: Byrd's guitar playing simply cannot be faulted. His work on this album is furious, precise and steeped in emotion, just the way the fretlovers want it. Similiar to Yngwie but dare I say it - several steps ahead of the former God of Guitar. Yng better watch out, for James is quite close to claiming this title for himself. "Flying Beyond the 9" contains some of the most delicious riffs and solos of Byrd's career, and with that crystal production job that is almost to the level of audiophile-dom makes it so much sweeter to partake in. However his compositions are really not that revolutionary in its use of a full blown orchestra. Anyone who has turned an ear towards the more techincal and involving aspects of power metal will have heard discs that are more theatrical, have bigger more boisterious sounding orchestras backing them or hold within their tome-like lyrical booklets stories that provoke thought and further contemplation. Yet it seems that none of these attention catching elements used extensively in metal of today, were a part of Byrd's artistic vision for the finished incarnation of his metallic product, making "Flying Beyond the 9's" 'catches' curiously compelling. Combining metal with orchestras is nothing new, however combining early Yngwie influenced metal... the dark forboding stuff from the beginning of his career such as anything from "Rising Force" or "Marching Out"... with pompous orchestrations is a new one, and those that came for the show simply for the promise of something new and original will also be rewarded tenfold. Byrd has tempered a large variety of sounds simply to be combined with some of the darkest, frenzied neo-classical overtones that have been heard in ages. The result is a breathtaking blend of sharp grooves, mindboggling orchestrated sections and even a composition that features none of Byrd's guitar at all...luckily Byrd and crew manage to pull it all off with a confident level of finesse.

His 'crew' being nothing more than two other members of the byrdhouse , producer/keyboardist/drummer/all-around-musician Brian Hutchinson and the pipes that bring the written concepts to an audible form, Michael Flatters. Hutchinson has many shoes to fill yet does each job extremely well and his invaluable impact on the disc is especially noted in his bringing to the table a rock solid production job that when compared to the nightmarish sound from Byrd's previous releases (which none of these producing mishaps he had any control over whatsoever) makes this sound fabulous. Michael on the other hand is a mixed bag. Flatters is a decent vocalist overall. His tone is good and his abilities are not to be questioned especially when referenced back to some of the acrobatics he performs on this disc, yet he lacks the individuality that seperates the great from the good. Think of him as a mild Michael Vescera, only lacking Mike's positive conviction and stirring emotion. But when he's good, Flatters can blow you away when you least expect it.

1. FLYING BEYOND THE 9 [4.20]
The opening track is everything expected of an ear catching opener, a sweeping epic piece that slams you right between the eyes. A bold statement that beckons one to look deeper into its depths to find all the little nuances Byrd has tucked away like Easter eggs to be gradually uncovered upon multiple listens by the astute observer that the casual listener will overlook when being overwhelmed by the cascades of unrelenting sound. The orchestra is in its full blown glory with James shredding away with enthusiasm and Flatters carrying out his vocal duties admirably. Nearly a slice of sweet perfection, only coming up short in the rhythm section which is a little too 'light' for this kind of forceful fare.

2. DARK HEART [5.02]
A gorgeous lighthearted opening of fleet flying guitar conceals a magnitude of sorrow behind a face of searing pain. The chorus is left free enough to breathe, the dark carefully choreographed heavy handed sections lumber along while keeping a majestic aire. Everyone wants to know about the solo right? Well... it's part Fifth Angel part new-Byrd and all-around a short blistering bit that is neo-classical bliss. "All's well that ends...in our dark hearts!" My love overpours for this slithering dark kissed track with its amazingly addictive chorus.

3. W.T.O. [WE TOOK OVER] [4.59]
Another sing-along that seems like it came from an era gone by, yet fresh and devoid of the staleness that seems to snuff the originality out of reworked parts from the past. An orchestrated blitz overtakes this track, exploding behind the chorus and other key parts, giving it an overall full, warmly rounded sound. And the solo... Byrd solidifies the fact that he's one of the few guitarists left that truly deserves the term 'guitar hero'. What magnificent beauty and electrical fireworks that continue on even as the rest of the band is ushered back into the mix. This song, the theme which is the takeover of the World Trade Organization, is like a snowball rolling on its way to hell, building in size and magnitude throughout its journey until it comes to a fiery finish, vaporizing into nothing upon its final contact.

4. NEVERMORE [5.12]
Sweet groove machine take me home.... Flatters is beginning to grow on me slowly as the neighbors upstairs are letting me know the stereo has reached the maximum level that they will tolerate at this hour...anyhow this song describes the dog eat dog world of the record industry and musically it embodies the shady slinkiness the lyrics are outlining rather pointedly. Got to love the explosive...shut the door rather loudly..ending and Flatters singing to himself in various tones of deep rooted disgust. "On a silver string of sorrow flown, reaping harvests not your own, you never learn this is war."

5. EVERYTHING TO ME [6.22]
This is what Yngwie *should* sound like these days but alas... we all know that tragic story by now. James' guitar is so huge and round sounding that it feels like you could reach out and touch each note as they whiz through the speakers. Unique drumming and twisting song structures give it a slight progressive feeling, in fact a few sections bring back memories of a few choice moments from Queensryche's "Empire", including the over-the-top commercial prog feel radiating from this particularly well crafted track.

6. UNITY [WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING] [6.00]
Fantastically performed guitar opens the song on a whisperingly haunting note with phantom pricked background embellishments. The rhythm riffing is tough and unforgiving in its humble beginnings. The chorus aims for the sky and takes us there, sending us through rainbow rings and other otherworldly things before flittering in for a smooth landing into the next verses or the supernaturally gritty solo that edges into pristine cleanliness before all is said and done. Very spiritual both lyrically and musically and containing some awesome lyric bits that are built into greatness by Flatters in his most shining moments: "Sun burst upon the velvet deep within." which is sung straight from the heart and sounds simply terrific with that infectious rhythmic riff skipping joyously in the backdrop.

7. PARADISE TONIGHT [5.05]
Harmonized vocals open in a classic 80s fashion then here comes the funkified bass that gleefully wipes away the nostalgic feel. The rest of the song feels very similiar to "Unity" but with more of a huge European AOR bombastic slant than the wind riding atmosphere from the previous track. Also of note is the extensive use of non traditional metal instruments that set it apart from the legions of material in this genre. The horn enhanced ending should be given special attention since its so over the top you just gotta love it!

8. ALL OF ME [5.00]
The much talked about guitar-less track, is in fact an absolutely magnificent ballad-esque song that has the ability to reduce the listener to tears within its first few moments. Voices swirl in and out, difficult to pinpoint and gone in such a flurry of distortion its nearly impossible to understand what they are saying. This reminds me heavily of some of Dream Theater's vocal bits used in their songs such as the tragic "Space Dye Vest". Powerfully sparse...piano, voice and little else to carry Byrd's creation throughout the majority of its journey. Darkly delicate... the gossamer winged dragonfly transforms into a black winged raven right before your eyes leaving a whirl wind of ink coloured feathers in its path. Very similiar to the acoustic bent theatrics of Savatage mixed with the crushing sentiments of the already mentioned "SDV", with Flatters coming across as a strange melting pot of the sneering tilts of John Olivia and the operatic catch of Geoff Tate. "And if you find you're self-aware and knowing what it means, settle in the wiring box and sleep to silent screams."

9. AVIANTI SUITE [4.15]
This is Byrd's own "Black Star". Really, can't you hear the similiarities? It embodies the spirit of the fallen star while taking its own flight path. Careening through silent sections, soft symphonic beauty, and a touch of medieval magic.. but leaves the stage set for one to come to their own conclusions of this instrumental trip through the listener's imagination. The guitar dances and twirls confidentally on the dance floor, taking on all comers one by one, leaving the impression that truly it is the Lord of the Dance, bowing out gracefully for a quiet closing.

Even with such lofty expectations resting upon its shoulders, when approaching "Flying Beyond the 9" with an open mind, it manages to impress even the most jaded. However those that come in search for a sequel to any of his previous works might go away with the seed of disappointment in their heart, for this is the beginning of a new career and sound for James Byrd and while it references back upon his pools of past material and inspirations, it is a totally different animal from his albums of yore. The drawbacks are few but include some over repetitive lyrics and the fact that Michael could use a little more refining before he breaks into the upper echelon of vocalists. Right now he's above average and handles a few of these songs with a delightful uniqueness, most notably the various tones used for "W.T.O.", but overall comes across a little too bland and generic. However by the end of the album he begins to hit his stride with a couple of real winners. Byrd must be commended for his superb songwriting and even more so for his magical touch on the guitar. He is truly a wizard of the instrument, every note is an inspiration. Axe fanatics, what are you waiting for? This one was made just for you.

RATING
9.2
Songs: 9.2, Lyrics: 8.5, Performance: 9.5, Production: 9.3
Hot Spots: "Dark Heart", "Flying Beyond the 9", "Unity"
Bottom Line: Byrd is back, with a new spin on neo-classical.

Review by Alanna Evans
-who thinks "Visigoth" is still the finest thing Byrd's ever written. Damn is that ever a fine song!

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