Lydian Fortune (http://www.lydianfortune.com) are all about the Big Riff, Gozilla-sized chunks of guitar shrapnel exploding in your ears. Yet, at the same time, the group is melodically balanced. Their music is not thrash; it's hard rock at its purist. For the headbangers of the world, "Songs from Beneath" is a much-needed kick in the groin. These are not emo kids screaming about an unfair world; instead, these are grown-up men who have balls of steel.
If Black Sabbath's fictional "Iron Man" started a band, it would be Lydian Fortune. From the first track to the last, Lydian Fortune never let up the steam. "Amf" and "Get Away" are fueled by Keith Kurbin's relentlessly slamming riffs; they attack the speakers like exploding warheads. One can hear the influence of Alice in Chains' axeman Jerry Cantrell, especially on "Amf" with its gloriously scorching fuzzed-out moments. On "Polarize," Kurbin hits us with the most driving, mercilessly pounding guitars on the record; it makes you long for the days of vinyl.
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Cranking up the knobs is not difficult. What Lydian Fortune do is transcend volume, giving a hook-minded touch to the toughest, thickest layers of amp rage. I love the dark undertow of "The Day After" and Kurbin's bluesy, smoking riffs. The mix of heavy-metal thunder and subtle mood swings is mesmerizing and intoxicating.
Vocalist Gary Gelina at times recalls the wide-screen bellowing of Metallica's James Hetfield, especially on "Amf" and "Thirteen Dreams."
But on "Songs from Beneath," it is the guitar that is king. Kurbin's Randy Rhoads-ish leads on "Get Away" will make you believe in ghosts or guitar gods.
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