Review of NOVAREIGN - Shifting the Axis of the World / M-Theory Audio

 Eight years between albums is a bloody long time, but NOVAREIGN haven't spent that time forgetting how to play. Shifting the Axis of the World is packed with musicianship, big melodies and enough twists and turns to keep a prog metal fan busy for a while. The trick is that these guys can actually write a tune around all that guitar wizardry, which isn't always the case with this sort of stuff.

The first couple of spins had me grinning. There's a lot going on, sometimes more than necessary, but the album rarely feels like a bunch of blokes showing off just because they can. The guitars are all over the place, the bass gets its fair share of room, and the drums keep the whole thing moving. David Marquez's vocals fit the grand, slightly theatrical side of the music, although that high-register delivery might take a little getting used to if you're more into rougher voices.

“Sun & Moon” is the one that really got me. Ten minutes on paper might sound like a recipe for an instrumental wankfest, but the song keeps pulling me back in with its shifts in pace, melodic passages and that lovely bass-led section. It takes its time getting where it wants to go, yet there's enough going on to make the journey worthwhile. That's NOVAREIGN at their best: technically impressive without completely losing sight of the song itself.

Sure, there are moments when I wish they'd put the brakes on the soloing and let a good riff do the talking for a bit longer. The progressive detours don't always add as much as the band seems to think they do. Still, the melodies stick, the playing is bloody good, and there's a healthy dose of old-school heavy metal running through the whole thing. This isn't some soulless exercise in playing a million notes per minute.

All in all, a solid return from a band that clearly has the chops and, more importantly, knows its way around a memorable tune. A little trimming here and there wouldn't hurt, but I'd rather hear musicians taking a few chances than another generic power metal album going through the motions.

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Thanks to Grand Sounds PR.