F U L L . R E V I E W S


Eleventh Hour
Memory of a Lifetime Journey
Type: CD
Company: Independent
Release: 2016
Genre: Gothic/Symphonic
Reviewer: Greg Watson
Published: 8/26/2016
A good first effort
Italian symphonic metal outfit Eleventh Hour's debut album, 'Memory of a Lifetime Journey', reminds me of Rhapsody and Symphony X melded with a little bit of Epica. Incredible arrangements, epic sound, Malmsteen-esque solos and solid lead vocals make this a good first effort but, the album still stays confined to this genre. That's not to say that it doesn't have its merits. Some of the arranging and instrumentation on the album, such as "Sleeping in my Dreams" and "Long Road Home", are outstanding and very moving and the vocal performance of Alessandro Del Vecchio is pretty damn impressive. But I just found myself feeling as though I had heard these songs somewhere else before. Unfortunately that's a pitfall of this genre with so many bands sounding very similar to one another and very little, if any, digression or individuality present. This isn't something that people will snap up for its originality but it will definitely be well received by fans of this genre as it is still a quality album and a helluva a debut.
About this Writer:
Greg Watson // Greg Watson has been hooked on the loud and heavy sounds since the summer of 1994 when he first heard the opening notes of "Operation: Mindcrime" by Queensryche. Since then his tastes have expanded and grown like the ever evolving heavy metal tree of genres. He has been an active member of Maximum Metal off and on for 10 years. In his spare time, Greg enjoys deciding the fate of his loyal subjects in the realm of Skyrim and secretly playing air keyboard to "Separate Ways" by Journey when no one is watching. He currently resides in Roanoke, VA with his wife and his metal wannabe beagle.

Maximum Metal Rating Legend - Click for Full Details
5 Excellent - Buy it and say a prayer to the metal gods that you were tuned on to this masterpiece. A classic.
4-4.5 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a clunker or a lacking somewhere to keep it from perfection. You won't feel bad about dropping some bones on these.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler. This is the OK range where you'd search for the record on sale or used.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio. Could show skills but be dull overall. Redeeming qualities for indy bands are effort and passion. Majors that don't try or suck outright end up here.
2-2.5 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors. There is much better metal out there.
1-1.5 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible or an otherwise waste of your life and time.

Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style. Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

Demos and independent releases get some slack since the bands are often spent broke supporting themselves and trying to improve. Major releases usually have big financial backing, so they may be judged by a heavier hand. All scores can be eventually adjusted up or down by comparison of subsequent releases by the same band. We attempt to keep biases out of reviews and be advocates of the consumer without the undo influence of any band, label, management, promoter, etc.

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ALL FULL REVIEWS FOR: ELEVENTH HOUR
CD
 TITLE BAND
DOR
 REVIEWER DATE
Memory of a Lifetime JourneyEleventh Hour
2016
Greg Watson8/26/2016


ALL SUMMARY REVIEWS FOR: ELEVENTH HOUR

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ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: ELEVENTH HOUR
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