With ‘Rage’, PYRAMID Provides the Meal We’re Dying to Sink Our Teeth Into

Pyramid is an American progressive metal project, a collaboration of choice virtuosos with incredibly high vocals and lyrical content. The main man of this band is Lance Sawyer and he teamed up with some of the best musicians of the metal scene like Tim Ripper Owens (ex-Judas Priest, ex-Iced Earth, among others), Andry Lagiou (The Harps), Harry Conklin “The Tyrant” (Jag Panzer) on vocals, Mike Abdow (Fates Warning) on guitars and Chris Quirarte (Redemption) on drums, Adam Bentley (Arch Echo) guitars and mixing engineer, Joey Izzo (Arch Echo) the master on the keyboards and Perrine Missemer on violin.

With their latest album “Rage“, Pyramid taps into their prog symphonic roots to create one of the most entertaining listens. Get ready, this album is the full package for prog-metallers to indulge in and marvel at. Admired as singles as well, each track is driven by passionate riffs, catchy hooks, and brilliant songwriting that ensures surprise and intrigue at every turn. Each track is distinct and has memorable moments that will trigger glee in your brain when they pop up.

The opening of “Rage” is straight killer, melodic throughout, and carries an excellent message with plenty of energy. Follow-ups ‘Empty Roads‘ and title-track ‘Rage‘ boast a talented mix of instrumental skill with wild strings, enigmatic drums, and beautiful vocal displays. Flowing into the album is ‘Beast’ which absolutely takes your breath away. Rapid-paced drums are unrivaled as they’re balanced by treacherous riffs and commanding vocal skills.

Some of the riffs in ‘Control‘ hit the spot on the heavy scale. There’s so much energy from the start of this track and this vibe survives the song comfortably. ‘Magic‘ is one of the shortest tracks of the album. It somewhat prepares you for the violent protest against all things power and control that happens on ‘Tyranny.’ There are banging drums, heavy riffs, ethereal highs, and vocal brilliance bordering on prog metal in the genre, providing the meal we’re dying to sink our teeth into.

Then comes ‘Slayer’, which has a lovely hint of piano and organ briefly in there somewhere which is at times blissful in the breaks between all the screams. The finale to this album comes with ‘Dungeons and Dragons‘, where you’re taken by surprise by a stunning piano and strings combination. The track is expressed elegantly and with high technique levels; it’s well-rounded and effective.

If you enjoy listening to a progressive symphonic metal album, “Rage” is a sure bet. From the guitars which lay the foundation of the sound with some bright, powerful melodies and classical fingerpicking to the perky bass which gets incredibly fast at some points and has a very clean tone (it almost sounds more machine than man), everything works just great. Then the drumming plays two roles, either holding back for the sake of the instruments to flourish or absolutely chopping it with blasts of rhythm. Oh, and it’s full of great vocals. There is no doubt that you’ll be entertained and eager to return over and over again.

“Rage” undoubtedly falls from one musical surprise to the next, yet it is best listened to from start to finish. Sawyer’s idea and musical approach to bringing such music and stories to life has paid off brilliantly, and his effort is one of the best as he creates an album recommended for all lovers of progressive sounds. Overall, this is an engaging album, and a pleasant listen, flowing with ideas developed and performed excellently by all the artists involved.