THSL is the solo project of Thanasis Labrakis, founder of the Greek Prog/Power Metal band Lightfold, with whom he proposes a Prog/Symphonic Rock and Metal genre. The debut album “Memories Of A Dream” was released on October 15, 2021 and contains 10 medium length tracks featuring many guests. The album opens with “No Way Out” feat. Annie Nikolaidou starting with a dark piano melody and a very intense vocal. A track characterized by orchestrations and atmospheric sounds to close with dreamy notes on the piano. “Bleed” feat Annie Nikolaidou & Kostas Tokas always presents the orchestrations and a rhythmic session that alternates Metal accelerations and more Rock parts. A mix of AOR and melodic Metal with a female voice with a guitar solo in the final instrumental section. “Bitterness” is a melodic track that distances itself from the Prog sounds and approaches AOR which, despite the drum accelerations, is not very incisive. In the second part a short solo guitar insert, but the linear structure with few tempo changes does not enhance the musicians’ technique. Here we are at the title track “Memories Of a Dream” feat Panagiotis “Parthos” Papageorgiou which starts with distorted guitar riffs and the male vocal. The rhythm session is more elaborate and at times pulled with tempo changes and double pedal, with a solo cue in the second part, the most interesting moment of the piece. “Nightmare of Death” feat Penny Rizou & THANOS is a more powerful track, with massive guitar riffs and a tight rhythm session. The vocal alternates male and female voices, but in my opinion the proof is not convincing, resulting not very effective despite the aggressive singing. Closer to Power Metal, largely sung and with few musical ideas except for a short guitar solo in the finale. “Pain Of Despair” feat George Thomaidis is a track in light and shade, which alternates accelerated to more symphonic walks with some interesting ideas but in others the sound is a bit confusing. Dreamy violin melodies open “Redeem My Soul” feat Kallia Grinia which develops with guitar arpeggios alternating with heavy riffs. Closer to Symphonic Metal, when all the instruments are in play the sound is a little muffled, however distancing itself from the Prog Metal mentioned in the description of the album. “Once Upon A Time” feat Anna Saranti is softer in structure, although unfortunately the sounds of the keyboards cover the other instruments making the song not very punchy. A softer track between more powerful and tight Metal tracks. “When The Darkness Blinds My Eyes” feat THANOS is a song that would also be intense but unfortunately the keyboards cover all the sounds again taking the stage. The most interesting passage is the lead guitar section in the second part of the piece. The album ends with “Do You Regret” feat Mora where the absence of keyboards massively makes the sound cleaner and enhances both the vocal and the instrumental parts. An intense piece with a good virtuoso solo at the end. An album that looks like Progressive Metal with Symphonic traits and which unfortunately did not meet my expectations, with some not very incisive passages. In some places the music is overwhelmed by the keyboards that cover the other instruments and the vocal is not always incisive and dynamic. The tracks proposed here partly present interesting ideas, in others they are a little weak, not always managing to involve the listener and losing incisiveness.
Tracklist
1. No Way Out – THSL feat Annie Nikolaidou (04:00)
2. Bleed – THSL feat Annie Nikolaidou & Kostas Tokas (04:59)
3. Bitterness – THSL feat Kostas Tokas (04:38)
4. Memories Of a Dream – THSL feat Panagiotis “Parthos” Papageorgiou (04:09)
5. Nightmare of Death – THSL feat Penny Rizou & THANOS (04:07)
6. Pain Of Despair – THSL feat George Thomaidis (03:49)
7. Redeem My Soul – THSL feat Kallia Grinia (04:10)
8. Once Upon A Time – THSL feat Anna Saranti (03:55)
9. When the Darkness Blinds my Eyes – THSL feat THANOS (05:34)
10. Do You Regret – THSL feat Mora (03:56)
1 thought on “[Review] THSL – Memories Of A Dream”