For Madmen Only Atomic Opera Artist

The third and least well-known band to emerge from Texan producer {|Sam Taylor|}'s prog-metal stables (the first and second were {|King's X|} and the {|Galactic Cowboys|}, respectively), {|Atomic Opera|} bore most of his trademark sonic elements: cho... Read more

The third and least well-known band to emerge from Texan producer {|Sam Taylor|}'s prog-metal stables (the first and second were {|King's X|} and the {|Galactic Cowboys|}, respectively), {|Atomic Opera|} bore most of his trademark sonic elements: chorused vocals, eloquent spiritual lyrics, complex stop-start riffs, and an impressive combination of melody and crunch. In fact, the band's first effort, {|For Madmen Only|}, pretty much breached the gap between the aforementioned bands, providing a slightly less ambitious take on {|King's X|} brilliantly colored soundscapes (see {|Joyride|} and {|War Drum|}) while dabbling in the {|Cowboy's|} thrashier tendencies (as in {|Justice|}). They never quite manage either band's consistency, however, stumbling on the rather uneventful {|All Fall Down|} and completely striking out on the incredibly irritating {|Achilles' Heel,|} which plods along for almost six minutes while wallowing in supposedly deep, but actually repetitively inane lyrics (think {|R.E.M.|}'s {|Stand|} to the power of ten). On the other hand, they concoct a near-perfect single with the excellent {|I Know Better,|} and just barely miss the mark with the dreamy {|This Side of the Rainbow.|} Further highlights include the intricate arrangements of {|December,|} {|Blackness,|} and the epic {|New Dreams|} -- an awe-inspiring piece which gradually develops into a nine minute hard rock bolero. In short, this is challenging stuff which takes repeated listens to sink in. It will likely appease the {|King's X|} crowd, but will prove a difficult meal for the unprepared. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia Less