Frameshift guitarist / songwriter / producer Henning Pauly is known for going off on a tangent every now and then to explore avenues outside his usual prog-metal haunts, whether it be epic Ayreon-styled storytelling (Babysteps) or tongue-in-cheek tributes to punk (The Anthologies) and controversial “rock stars” who don’t really have their shit together after all (Credit Where Credit Is Due). His latest venture, Shadow’s Mignon, most certainly falls into the second category, celebrating the all-powerful heavy metal cliché by offering up every riff, lick and lyric that made Dio, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden famous. Midnight Sky Masquerade isn’t brain surgery and was never meant to be, focusing instead on taking traditional metalheads back to that old school comfort zone through simple off-the-wall guitar shred (Pauly really should do this more often) and killer vocals from Transmission singer Juan Roos, easily the most underrated vocalist in the biz. Continue reading SHADOW’S MIGNON — Midnight Sky Masquerade (ProgRock Records – 2009)
Category: Reviews
New stuff, rated good or bad in my humble opinion…