ALPHASTATE - GREECE

ALPHASTATE – OUT OF THE BLACK
Iron Maiden is one of the most popular heavy metal bands in history and, by extension, it would be natural for the Brits to be one of the more copied of groups. Except, it is not so. While the band's dual guitar harmonies are the subject of a fair bit of plagiarism, the group's overall sound and structure have been fairly well protected. Greece-based AlphaState is clearly influenced by Maiden, but amusingly not in the conventional way. This quartet, featuring one-third the number of ‎guitarists as the English band, does not dabble in Maiden-like soloing or harmonies or exchanges. Rather, it is the structures and the vocals of its singer Manos that demonstrate the band's fountainhead. Take the first five or six early classic IM albums and set them aside and one could a good impression of the songs on this mid-paced full-length. ‎The sound and attack pick up on the song Great Divide. The guitar and drumming is metallic of course, but make no mistake after a minute Bruce Dickinson is back. Admittedly the vocals are good and the man does not take his influences to an extreme. World’s Control begins slowly and has some minor orchestration, and yes the Greek Bruce is again behind the mike deploying his controlled vocals, but the song is not exciting until it kicks into gear mid-track. One could easily agree with the band that there is no right or wrong on Only Chance, while The System offers some metal whose combination of precise drumming and attacking guitars signals who the band's most interesting instrumentalist is: the drummer. The doubled up vocals offer some variety. One last thing, hearing the lead on the aforementioned Great Divide makes one wonder why the band does not include more of them. They certainly have the chops to do so. - Ali "The Metallian"