ZERO HOUR -

ZERO HOUR - THE TOWERS OF AVARICE - SENSORY
Zero Hour is a US progressive metal band which, while new to these ears, has an independent CD and possesses the power and confidence of a band of older age. The Towers Of Avarice seems to be a concept album dwelling upon a futuristic society where humans are sacrificed for technology and serve The Tower. Produced with clarity and power, the album's highlights are multi-fold. While overall inspired by older Dream Theater, the band displays enough particular strengths to deserve a thumb up. The vocals of Erik Rosvold are clear and powerful, and can take on many tones. At times reminiscent of the vocals of Iced Earth or Savatage, Rosvold can master both the higher and lower registers. Another strength here is the talent mastered by six stringer Jasun Tipton. Listening to his many tempos and ideas is what ultimately allows this album to shine. He can attack the guitar at a frantic pace beautifully as evidenced on one of the solos of Demise And Vestige and yet can delicately approach the notes later at the ten minute mark of the same song. Not to be left behind, is bassist Troy Tipton who refuses to follow the rest of the band and insists on making things a little more interesting. On a weaker note is the drumming of Mike Guy who, on this album, seems to have been replaced by the services of Yamaha 231. The Metallian recalls how disappointing it was to note that the 'drumming' on Dream Theater's Images And Words is nothing but a soulless drum machine. Similarly here, one has to wonder what this album could have been with emotional and powerful drumming. As disappointing as the lack of drumming is, The Towers is a good progressive album that is enhanced by a crystal clear sound and an enigmatic cover art work. Fans of progressive metal have little to weigh with this release from Sensory Records. - Ali "The Metallian"

ZERO HOUR - METAMORPHOSIS - SENSORY
This is the re-release of this 1998 album. The album was originally an independent release and has now been issued by the band's US label. Much like the bands heroes, Dream Theater, Metamorphosis is an accomplished, calculated and precise progressive album. The keyboards accompany a tight rhythm section and the occasional burst of guitar gymnastics. Alas, the album is often more subdued than it really needs to be. The band has it in itself to excite and explode more than its output here and, we now know that, it does in the future. In the meanwhile, those who missed this album or those who are looking for an alternative to Dream Theater will probably like Metamorphosis. - Ali "The Metallian"

ZERO HOUR - A FRAGILE MIND - SENSORY  
Zero Hour's new album is the perfect marriage of technical dexterity and heaviness. Incorporating some elements of progressive metal and the power metal of bands like Nevermore, Zero Hour (now featuring singer Fred Marshall) has recorded an amazing album that is going to address the cravings of both camps' fans. Marshall has a strong and fluid voice and allows the music to breathe. The instruments all shine and flaunt their stuff. Bass guitar fans, in particular, will like A Fragile Mind for its multiple and complex bass runs, sound and chugging presence. The album's closing number Intrinsic flaunts the instruments really well, as does the instrumental Somnecrophobia. The latter repeats its riffs and incorporates Classical pieces as well. The songs are mostly of average length, but the band slips in a couple of long opus numbers which nonetheless end too quickly. Such is the quality of the band's compositions. Brain Surgery is probably the album's weakest song, but it still would stand up well against anything else out there nowadays.
As noted, he band is largely original, but one still has to wonder whether allusions to the band's closest comparison are mere coincidences. Witness lines like, "Sanctuary's calling me", "Ecstasy calling me" or "Never more to be ignored." Too bad about the grammatical mistakes (like 'their' instead of 'they're'); otherwise A Fragile Mind is nearly perfect. - Ali "The Metallian"

ZERO HOUR - SPECS OF PICTURES BURNT BEYOND - SENSORY  
It is positively lazy to say so, but Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond is like the clinical meeting point of Nevermore and Dream Theater. Forged in both heaviness and technicality, the newest album of these perennial underachieving Americans is yet another amazing feat of precision metal.
Truth is that Zero Hour is less about playing and more about executing music. The stop-and-go rhythms, fluid yet impossible leads, multi-pronged drumming and the flawless singing all synchronize to just what the band probably intended. It is as if the band knows exactly where it wants to go and simply plots the course. Apparently, some make precision sound effortless. If there is one fault that could be leveled at the new album, and the band behind it, then that would be the almost mechanical interchange of heavy and slow parts. The band’s reversion to more quiet and subdued moments, while subconsciously designed to elevate the heavier moments, is repeated one too many times. The band goes back to that well too often and at a cost to the album’s steadfastness.
Zero Hour is often labeled progressive, and rightfully so, but the current album enjoys a heaviness partly derived from a new singer, omission of keyboards, tight synchronization of different parts and an amazing technical depth. To dismiss the album would be a mistake for those who generally deride or avoid progressive metal - Ali “The Metallian”

ZERO HOUR - DARK DECEIVER - SENSORY  
It is difficult imagining how a band can get any more tight and coordinated than Zero Hour. Dark Deceiver is the extension of the band’s combination staccato hardness and note-tapping technicality wrapped in the shell of a cohesive unit throwing riffs like the hammer of Thor. Take the title track for instance. Heavy as all hell, varied and flying at mach-level kph it is a machine gun let loose through the speaker - although a better example of this last attribute is the album-closer Severed Angels.
Where the band has more difficulty convincing are the out of the ordinary vocal variations and experimentations. With a stable line-up in hand the band has allowed singer Chris Salinas to experiment and fiddle with his delivery (seemingly) to his heart’s delight. The result is a mix bag that sometimes is not altogether sensible and can even be disconcerting. Perhaps that is what he and the band wanted. Given the theme of multiplicity Dark Deceiver has only one song with a length over ten minutes (Inner Spirit) and only another that is over six minutes, namely The Temple Within. Guitar solo and especially bass solo lovers are not left behind as usual. Tendonitis should make bass players green with envy, but not because the song features an MC!
Dark Deceiver is everything and anything in the progressive metal arena. Zero Hour is tender, manic, heavy all over, and interestingly listenable despite the odd signatures, sounds and changes. Threshold is still a better pick for me in the sub-genre, but Zero Hour is a far more adventures excursion in the wide world of progressive metal than Meshuggah. Whether the listener will fully be convinced with the Chris’ odder moments is t.b.d. though. - Ali “The Metallian”