Skylark
Wings

December 2004
Released: 2004, Scarlet
Rating: 2.0/5
Reviewer: JP

Year-end wrap-up: Each of the last few years to wrap up the year I have picked a theme for my reviews for December. This year due to the overwhelming number of CD’s that deserve exposure, recognition and commentary I am going to resort to quantity over quality. I usually try to give as much attention to each CD with extensive commentary however this month’s reviews (perhaps unfortunately) will be short and sweet and much more in the style of traditional magazine reviews where space restrictions are an important factor. (ie. Less detail) I apologize in advance to readers who expect much more detailed reviews. Please check the reviews archives as many of my colleagues have written excellent detailed commentary of many of these CD’s. I hope the large number of quick comments will help guide you making some of those important year-end CD purchase decisions. Happy Holidays and see you in January. JP



Man this is pretty poor. I’m not sure if it supposed to be a collection of ballads or what. Where is the speed, the soaring vocals, the pummeling double kick drums? This is weak. There is tons of acoustic piano, a new female co-vocalist, no speed, no drive, almost no guitars and way too much slow, watery keyboard. Yuk. I’m really disappointed but not surprised as keyboardist Eddy Antonini is now the main dude in the band it seems. It is pretty lush and orchestrated and did grow on me after a few listens, the songs are pretty progressive and symphonic and so on but it just lacks the fire of the previous CD’s. Flower metal to the max that non-fans of the genre point to and laugh as embracing all the (perceived) weaker characteristics of the genre. ‘Wings’ is more prog rock than metal and in that sense it is nice but a unpleasant shock to the system for sure.