Helion Prime’s self-titled debut was one of the most exciting heavy metal albums in recent years, melding the power metal template with sci-fi themes to create a highly enjoyable listening experience. I mean, an album that quotes Ian Malcolm’s most enduring line from Jurassic Park has to be a winner, right? The positive reception to the album saw the group snapped up by AFM Records, who subsequently reissued it to widen its commercial reach. Two years on, the group have returned with their second effort, Terror of the Cybernetic Space Monster. The cheesy but awesome album title and sleeve may be akin to some sort of low budget, second rate B-movie; does the music follow suit?
Internal circumstances haven’t done the band any favours, that’s for sure. They have cycled through a number of vocalists in the past two years, with Heather Michele Smith departing not long after the release of the eponymous record in 2016. Kayla Dixon’s brief tenure saw her step in for 2017’s fantastic “Remnants of Stars” single, but she left before the year was out, replaced by Cypriot Sozos Michael, who fronts the band on this album. All eyes are likely to be on him, and he does an solid, if unremarkable, job, sounding relatively comfortable on much of the material. His voice is light and airy, much like Michael Kiske, Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica) or Willy Norton (Neonfly), although at this stage he does not have any of their presence or character. He pales in comparison to Smith and Dixon (the latter in particular), and there’s a few times where the material calls for something that’s a little beyond him. It is early days yet mind, and he clearly has enough talent to grow into the role (there’s a few outstanding moments that are a testament to that). I just feel he’s a little ordinary, which doesn’t help the band to stand out from the power metal pack.
The music itself is relatively strong, built around a solid heavy/power template, with a bit of Trivium influence to some of the riffing (if I recall correctly, there are some self confessed Trivium fans in the group’s ranks). This was also the case with the previous record, so it shouldn’t get any alarm bells ringing (and if it did, well, it sounds good, so it shouldn’t be an issue). The production is pristine, with a clean, sharp guitar tone accentuating the tight playing. The album takes a while to get going, and although the likes of “A King is Born”, “Bury the Sun” and “Atlas Obscura” are highly listenable, they’re just lacking that something special. “Urth” then starts a tremendous three song run, with it’s fast, upbeat power metal stylings, melodic interplay and sing along coda everything genre fans could ask for. The explosive gallop of “The Human Condition” is equally as catchy, with nary a second of the eight minute run time wasted; the superb lead section particularly worthy of distinction. “Spectrum” sees Michael at his best, with his emotive vocals fitting well with the heavy ballad-esque backdrop. The level dips again slightly with the swift heavy metal workout of “Silent Skies”, but it’s still a good track when all is said and done.
The record closes with a full blooded declaration of ambition in the form of the mammoth 17 minute title track. Unfortunately, the song doesn’t go entirely to plan, but I applaud them for being this bold. It actually starts well enough, with an effective opening build up and some great riff action. Around the seven minute mark is when it starts to lose focus, descending into a medley of ideas rather than one cohesive piece. You can see that they’re trying to tell a story that cycles through various movements and moods, but there is very little in the way of flow or congruence for the majority of the track. The vocals, both from Michael and guest Brittney Slayes (Unleash the Archers) are hit and miss, equal parts daring and tentative. The chorus is when things truly fall apart, as their voices simply don’t mesh at all. It’s like they’ve been told to sing in different keys and intonations, ruining a perfectly good hook. It ends an otherwise strong album on a sour note.
I wouldn’t say this is a sophomore slump, but there is a drop in quality on this record when compared to their debut. This is more due to the fact that the predecessor was such a good album than this being a bad one though. This sounds more like your standard power metal record, whereas the debut had a distinctive atmosphere about it. There’s certainly enough here to enjoy though, as well as suggest that the band still has plenty more to give in the future. Just temper those expectations for now, and you’ll be alright.
Highlights: “Urth”, “The Human Condition”, “Spectrum”
Find more on Helion Prime here:
Terror of the Cybernetic Space Monster is available on August 31st via AFM Records, and can be purchased here.
