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Album Reviews
# of "Main" reviews: 359 (mean score: 8.5)
# of additional "User" reviews: 547
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http://www.stormrider.nl/lemurvoice/
Origin: Netherlands
Formed under the name Aura in 1993, Lemur Voice was the first non-American band to sign to the Magna Carta label back in the "prog renaissance" of the mid-1990s. The band enjoyed modest success before splitting up in 2000, putting out two generally well-liked releases: 1996's Insights and 1999's Divided. They style of the band is pretty much "typical" prog metal, along the lines of Dream Theater and Fates Warning, with tech metal influences. Guitarist Marcel Coenen went on to form the band Sun Caged after Lemur Voice disbanded.
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Insights (1996)
B- 8.0
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As you can see from the date of this review, I'm a tad late to the Lemur Voice party. They've just been one of those bands that managed to completely elude me, despite coming across their name again and again. (And now with the success of Sun Caged, the band that guitarist Marcel Coenen went on to form after the breakup of Lemur Voice, I still continue to see this band discussed, even five years after the band called it quits on the heels of only their second studio album.) I'm starting with first album, Insights, since it only makes sense to take it from the top. The band wears their influences on their sleeves on this cd, so fans of the prog metal genre are sure to find some instant, basic attraction to this material. Song structures remind me a bit of mid-period Fates Warning, as do the vocals, which take on style I'd actually describe as a cross between Alder and Arch. Guitar, keyboard, and drum tones mimic Images and Awake-era Dream Theater, although sometimes the keyboards lean a little more towards neo-prog than you might expect. Added to this, the band incorporates more tech metal leanings. This is evident in performances like the instrumental "Akasha Chronicles" which is way more in the direction of Spiral Architect's choppy, complex arrangements rather than the more flowing, melodic works like "At Fates Hands" or "Erotomania". Some of this "tech metal" perception might also just be due to an unbalanced (read: sub par) writing style, however. This being their debut, Lemur Voice just isn't quite "there" yet as accomplished songwriters. True, with each listen the disc does take on more and more familiarity -- with a few little hooks to catch on to -- but it never really achieves any kind of real endearing quality that compels you to listen to the CD time and again. Good chops, promising inventiveness, and all the key ingredients for success ... just not quite put together well enough that a total winner is created. (12/30/2005)
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Divided (1999)
B 8.6
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Divided was Lemur Voice's second and final release. Compared to their debut, this album clearly shows signs of growth, although it still remains too inconsistent to elude a "good but average" tag. While songs like "All of Me" and "When the Cradle Cries" are some of the best of what 1999 had to offer, many songs throughout the album seem too long or even wholly forgettable. This is especially true of the disc's second half, before being saved by an incredible remake of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" (one of the best covers you'll ever hear). Aside from naming individual songs, other highlights on the overall album include creative vocal touches and some really beautiful use of brass instruments (trumpet and soprano sax) on a couple of tracks. All in all, Divided is a worthy addition to any prog metal fans collection, but much of it is too rooted in Insights' lukewarm, apathetic style to make much of a splash. (1/28/2006)
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