Nation Beyond – The Aftermath Odyssey
Laser’s Edge
http://www.lasersedgegroup.com/
Rating: B
Symphonic metal and concept
albums are somewhat inevitable, for better or worse. The
debut release from Sweden’s Nation
Beyond entitled The Aftermath Odyssey is the latest
entry into this sweepstakes. The lyrical premise of the
story is an adventurous one of love and hate, set in the
wake of a nuclear war. The songs are expertly crafted and
the listener can follow along with the narrative in
sequential order or choose to take any one of these thirteen
tracks on their own. The Aftermath Odyssey rivals the
spirit of Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime, not to
mention Neilz Lindstrom’s vocal abilties bear more than a
passing resemblance to Geoff Tate on such tracks as “In The
Ashes” and “The Last Deceiver”. The duet with the angelic
female voice of Sara Heurlin on the emotion filled ballad
“Soulmates” is another track worthy of mention. Overall
The Aftermath Odyssey offers up a perfect balance of
sweeping, symphonic arrangements, with an abundance of hook
filled melodies and aggressive guitars. Nation Beyond has
definitely covered all the bases with this impressive debut
and The Aftermath Odyssey is a great addition to any
power metal fans collection.
-Ryan
Sparks
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