Mad Symphony – Mad Symphony EP
MR Records
Release Date: 13/05/2021
Running Time: 23:57
Review by Simon Black
10/10
Once in a while, I hear some music that takes me way back to the beginnings of my musical journey. For me that story begins firmly in the mid-80’s when bands like Yes, Rush and Magnum first attracted my attention to Hard Rock and Prog, and from then onwards to all things Metal. Canada’s Mad Symphony all look like they may be of similar ages and roots, as loud and clear this band’s tunage is heavily laden with all the hooks and tropes of what is now referred to as ‘Classic’ rock, in order not to make people like me feel too old. These are experienced musicians to boot, with the roots of the band lying in the now defunct Grunge Meal outfit Soulbender, but pulling in a really diverse and eclectic set of musos to fill out the sound, which goes a long way to explain the broad array of influences here.
Don’t be put off by the name – Symphonic Metal this definitely is not, at least not on these five tracks, just plenty of Progressive groove with a liberal smattering of Hammond Organ boogie to keep the retro feel. The tracks cover a lot of musical ground and sound simultaneously old and new in much the same way as Cats In Space achieve closer to home and they are definitely coming from the same angle, but with a more Continental USA feel rather than UK one (although there’s a shed load of early Marillion in the mix too, just to contradict and confuse). Quality wise though, they are bang on par with the Cats, so if they rock your boat, then Mad Symphony will not disappoint either.
This debut EP feels very much a hint of things to come, as the first thought I had when I finished listening was “Is this it?”, five tracks is not enough. The two opening tracks – the anthemic ‘Do It All Over Again’ and foot-tappingly infectious ‘The Next Door’ stand out immediately as guaranteed floor-fillers, but the remaining three indicate a rich writing style that is warming me up nicely for a full length album. I really want to hear what else these boys can do with a good hour of run time. An incredibly promising debut.
‘The Next Door’ (Official Video)
TRACKLISTING:
01. Do It All Over Again
02. The Next Door
03. Sell Me Out
04. Nothin’
05. Bittersweet Bye Bye
LINE-UP:
Kevin Wright – Lead Vocals, Percussion
Dave Groves – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ted Tosoff – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Mike Russell – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Amrit Prasad – Bass
Wes Hallam – Drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Simon Black and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.