No Limits

Labyrinth is an Italian metal outfit that recently has recieved alot of attention from the melodic - speed metal - progressive metal fans, with the release of their last album "Return to Heaven Denied". And with good reason, for that album was nothing less than wonderful. But with all the buzz surrounding their second album, their first one was literally forgotten, with the exception of that usual nod for having Rhapsody's Fabio Lione lending his vocal talents to the album. Their first full length effort, however, deserves just as much praise as their second one does.

One of the most unique aspects of this band, is their use of the dual guitar attack. The twin assault, with its style of twisting interaction, builds a kind of depth that stands out, and adds a unique element into the music itself. The drums have a nice sound, not protuding out too much, like alot of speed metal drumming work is recorded and mixed. Its not the kind of drumming that will induce headaches, but seems at a perfect level, providing a backdrop to illuminate the rest of instruments stealing center stage, yet often takes the showcase itself. Crisp, clean work. The keyboards are full, and are often techno influenced. This is another element that allows this band to stand out among all the other Stratovarius and Dream Theater clones. None of that organ sound that seems to be the norm for most speed - power bands these days is present here, so those that are sick of that can breathe a sigh of relief. Joe Terry's (read as: Fabio Lione) plush, and very foriegn sounding, vocals, soar on top of the mix.

Combine this all together and throw in some excellent song writing, and you can guess the result. A really stellar disc.

To cut right to the good stuff, there are a handful of songs that just scream classic on this cd, ranging from melodic epic ballads, to songs more along the speed metal sound, yet these hold something special. "Piece of Time" is just simply one of the finest things to be released in any metal subgenre. Absolutely captivating vocals, a wonderful solo guitar exchange, and an out of this world melody are set into this perfectly carved song. Not too long, to overstay its welcome, and even with a more speed-like tempo, the drums never become annoying, but instead actually contribute to the sound of the song, instead of being there 'just to make it sound fast'. The title track, "No Limits" is simply captivating. Emotionally stirring, this song is not one you just 'listen' to, this is a song you... experience. It flows through the blood, thanks to an absolutely FANTASTIC chorus, and heartfelt axework intwining over an incredible melody. It has a very flowing, progressively epic quality. If I must find any fault in this song, it would have to be with the repetitive lyrics, but I find myself so wrapped up in listening to Fabio just sing them so convincingly, that I don't even really notice. "Dreamland" is the first song that really got me into this band, and enchanted me immediately. I still believe its one of those rare gems, that comes along every once in awhile. The vocals, are exceptional, and I even pay attention to the lyrics, which, strangely with Labyrinth, I rarely do (most likely because I usually cant understand them without devoting myself to do so). Another superior solo, possibly the best on the disc, starting fast, and slowing down, and interchanging with another guitar, and hitting a few really high notes there at the end. The drums, instead of just banging along, are also quite memorable, and unique. And of course, the final perfect touch to the song..... the final word sang...... Dreamland.... stretched out till it fades..... a classic? No doubt about it.

"Time Has Come" is one of the best ballads I have heard in a long time. For one thing, the vocals, are, well, perfect, rich and huge and inspiring, Fabio is used to his very peak of abilities, displaying a large range, and takes the spotlight on this song, and truly pulls it out of the normal overdone 'lets put a ballad on here for variety' category, into something truly special. Violin fills some of the hollow places, truly giving it a very plush, rounded sound. The lone guitar solo, is emotional and filled with delicate beauty, exchanging with a bubbly almost neo classical guitar solo that takes me back to the glory days of Yngwie Malmsteen's ballad solos. The gentle pristine sound of piano is the icing on the cake. "Looking For..." is the follow up to the huge ballad, and it makes a nice ending for this album... this one being a reflective kind of song, stripped and relying on more beautiful piano work, and long - lost, soul searching, vocals. Sounds of thunder and rain only enhance this reflective atmosphere created by the music.

"Midnight Resistance" is sandwiched inbetween the truly classic material and the solid stuff. With a little tweaking, it could easily fit up there with the 'best of Labyrinth', but seems to lack something. The chorus however, is really punchy and the echo vocal effect is nice too. Its a speed metal song, but like most progressive stuff, slows down in some points, just to crank up a notch before getting back into the swing of things with more speed passages. I really like the guitar solo in this song, in fact, there's alot of great guitar work peppered through this whole disc, solo and rhythm. It ends with a very speedy bang, acoustic guitar, which is a strange change from the all out electric assault, and some rising and falling keyboard stuff that takes me back to the psychedelic 70s.

There's the stuff that's not destined to be all time classics, but still are solid songs, such as "In the Shade", another excerise in how to make good speed metal without it being an irritant to listen to. The vocals become slightly repetitive but its still pleasant to listen to, if only for the wonderful guitar work and Fabio's vocals. "The Right Sign" is an example of their tendancy to mix in techno keyboard noodlings. Pulsating and seemingly the center the song is built around at times, it definitely gives the song a different kind of perspective on the whole metal sound. The following song, "Red Zone", is more of a straight ahead speed metal track, which races out of the gates with a 'scream' ripped and vibrating right out of Fabio Lione's lungs. This is one of the few songs where the drums are cranked in speed metal fashion and are represented in that 'let's see who can make it to the end of the race first' 'pound - pound' sound. "Mortal Sin" is the other one of these songs, which do I dare say it? It reminds me a tad of Iron Maiden, and even the kind of growling vocals present in some spots, remind me of Bruce Dickinson. Of course most of that's washed away when they throw in the techno stuff again. The keyboards and drums seem to be trying to keep up in a race with each other, until it changes, and goes in a more progressive direction.

Then there's the one song that makes one unsure of what they were thinking when they decided to include it, because to me its nothing but a throwaway track. The band mines their techno roots by including this song, fittingly named "Vertigo", that is.... well..... not being a fan of techno music, I really don't know how to describe it.. All I know is that its not metal. Its a strange blend of pulsating electronic sounds, drums, a bit of incomprehensable vocals and some screaming, and I believe there's a bit of guitar thrown in for some very quick shredding.

"No Limits" is a very filling and satisfying disc, which was passed up and completely ignored until "Return to Heaven Denied" was released, and Fabio Lione became a 'power metal star' by singing on the better known - Rhapsody material, who are becoming legends on their own. But this disc, amazingly, outshines even "RTHD" because of one key aspect, and that is, the number of truly memorable songs. Songs like "Dreamland", "Piece of Mind" and the title track, will repeat and re-repeat themselves in your mind for days. Most of the songs on "RTHD" seemed to melt and blend together after awhile, (with of course a few exceptions), most of the songs on this cd stand out as individuals on their own. "No Limits" is a fine example of how metal can still be constructed and performed in ways that keep it new and fresh. For those looking for a disc that whips up a nice mixture of progressive and speed metal, with a bit of techno influenced keyboard thrown in, and heavily addictive melodies, this disc is definitely something to check out. With Labyrinth's second release, their first one will also go down into my heavy metal hall of fame.

Production	Songs	Lyrics	Performance	Overall
8.5	8.0	7.0	9.4	9.0

Reviewed By
Alanna Evans

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