Luthor
Skyweaver

October 2004
Released: 2004, Independent
Rating: 3.3/5
Reviewer: Lord of the Wasteland

Australia’s Luthor is an unsigned band whose independently released CD, SKYWEAVER, found its way to me through an e-mail from vocalist/guitarist Dean Burgess. I am always eager to help out unsigned bands so I awaited the package to arrive from the opposite side of the world to Canadian shores.



SKYWEAVER is a chock full of classic/traditional metal riffs but with a slight power metal edge to them. There aren’t any high-pitched wailing vocals in the European style, but Burgess’ vocals rest somewhere in the vein of Ronnie James Dio, King Diamond’s lower register and even a bit of Rik Emmet from Triumph. Unfortunately, Burgess tends to over-sing at times and on tracks like “Rain” and “Tears,” his voice tends to shake and even sound out of tune. Musically, Burgess’ guitarwork is excellent. The crunchy riffs of “Evil Eye” are a real standout and the backing rhythms of “Lady Vampire” sound very close to the 70s rock classic, “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo” by Rick Derringer. “Mother Sea” is the real standout track with its melodic chorus and Burgess’ soaring voice in the verses really kept this song in my head. “Take” is an interesting track with its tribal intro/outro and its socially-conscious lyrics are written from the first person point of view of the Earth.



Besides Burgess’ tendency to stretch his voice a bit much, the only other complaint I have is Wayne Dwyer’s snare drum. It is a bit heavy in the mix causing some songs to sound very thin and tinny. Still, for a low-budget release, SKYWEAVER is an excellent CD and the guys in Luthor should see some love from a label because of it.



KILLER KUTS: “Skyweaver,” “Evil Eye,” “Mother Sea,” “Lady Vampire”