Metamorphosis

Zero Hour | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 22, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sensory Records
• ASIN: B00009YXAK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,229 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very intricate, cutting edge progressive metal debut, January 24, 2004

By 

Murat Batmaz (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Metamorphosis (Audio CD)

Although a 2003 release, Metamorphosis is not a new album. It is the reissue of Zero Hour's self-titled debut from 1999. Thanks to Sensory Records, those who were floored upon picking up the band's The Towers of Avarice album will now be able to listen to this excellent CD with previously unreleased demo versions. The eponymous, independently released debut sold about 2,000 copies despite the band's very limited distribution. But now with a new packaging, bonus tracks, and a great artwork from noted artist Travis Smith, Metamorphosis is finally out.

If you have heard Zero Hour's second (their debut on Sensory) release, The Towers of Avarice, you probably already know their sound. But they still have their influences which range from the dark brooding power of Fates Warning to the ultra-technical Spiral Architect to the very relentlessly heavy Watchtower. Metamorphosis, on the other hand, is slightly different. The influences are still there though. The album combines the atmospheric touch of Fates Warning, and the challenging intricacies of bands like Watchtower and Meshuggah seamlessly. In addition to this, they have an incredibly amazing singer. Add Erik Rosvold to your list of god-like prog metal vocalists: he is THAT good! Often compared to the likes of Dio, John Arch, and Geoff Tate, he simply has one of the most haunting, emotional, aggressive vocals I've ever heard! He can shift from a soft, warm passage to the higher pitched harmonies effectively and effortlessly. This guy can do it all and is one of the most underrated singers in heavy metal. Period. His vocal lines fit the music more perfectly. There is great sense of sync with the singing and instrumentation. It's so good I don't even know how to explain it.

Zero Hour isn't only Rosvold's band though. Actually it was formed by Tipton brothers. Like many other bands comprising of brothers, such as Savatage, Dali's Dilemma, Van Halen, and Reading Zero (all of which are highly recommended!), guitarist Jasun Tipton and bassist Troy Tipton have a great chemistry going on which reflects on their songwriting. Almost every song was written by the two of them with Rosvold probably adding some lyrics and shaping up the vocal melodies. The brothers obviously envisioned a heavy, dark, emotional, and sublime style, which they have pulled off successfully. Their music displays a complex touch and never drops the emotional aspect. Their songs document very meaningful and thought-provoking lyrics as well. When all these characteristics are combined the awesome debut Metamorphosis is almost complete.

Jasun Tipton is a very technically advanced guitar player, but he doesn't use his prowess to overpower. The music is centered around his intricate, heavy, and crunchy playing with his brother keeping up with him virtually note for note and providing a very full sound. Considering Jasun and Troy are twin brothers, they also seem to think alike music-wise. I think it goes without saying that it's an extremely difficult thing to keep up with such a technically brilliant guitarist. When I say "technical", I do not mean it in the sense where the musicians try to prove how many notes they can squeeze into a scale. As opposed to overplaying long instrumental passages showcasing their chops, they only give the songs what they need. The music is very busy with time changes and odd song structures. The approach is generally heavy, but it's got its softer moments where we can enjoy the keys and Rosvold's haunting vocal delivery. Also of note is, original keyboard player Mike Conner had to leave the band due to injury, so the band got Matt Guillory from Dali's Dilemma to plays the keys on the CD. Speaking of which, I think the keyboard work on Metamorphosis is one of the best and most fitting I've ever heard on a prog metal debut. His approach to soloing is out of this world! While Zero Hour currently prefers to play without a keyboard player (and they do a great job), I think it's a shame that we will probably never hear this atmospheric touch again. Last but not least, I love the drumming on this CD. Firsly the tone, secondly the way he expresses himself. He plays fiercely but to the point, and he never loses the main rhythm of the song. Like the rest of the members his role is very instrumental in the band.

The first song "Eyes of Denial" is my favourite: the cold bass intro followed by the keys and then crunchy guitars introduce the Zero Hour sound perfectly. The riffing is brilliant as is Rosvold's singing. The short solo trade-off between the guitars and keys is incredible. The first three songs on the CD are arguably slightly better than the rest of the album. Rosvold's high scream in "Rebirth" gives the song immense power and shocks the listener with his otherworldly talent. The album never stays within a certain mood; every song has its fast, slow, and mid-tempo moments. The last song "Jaded Eyes" is one of the two demos that didn't make it on their first release. It's a nice instrumental where the Tipton brothers absolutely shine like they've never shined before. If this wasn't a reissue and a real studio album, it would be my pick for best 2003 prog release along with John Arch's A Twist of Fate EP.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For those who loved AWAKE, June 11, 2004

By 

J. T Weidel "fivestringsofdeath" (Santa Cruz) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Metamorphosis (Audio CD)

Remember the good old days of Dream Theater? for example... AWAKE, their greatest release?? well as we all know, those days are long gone for dream theater, but ZERO HOUR has brought back that beautiful progressive heavy metal 7 string riffage from the old days in this cd. It is quite lovely, and is worth buying if you love old DT. An audibly deliecious morsel!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent debut, February 20, 2008

By 

Daniel M. Grossman (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Metamorphosis (Audio CD)

A friend of mine got one of the few copies of Zero Hour's eponymous debut album back in 1999, of which this album is essentially a reissue. That disc played a pivotal role in getting me hooked on progressive metal at that time.

Although certainly a freshman effort, these debut tracks have a repetitive, pulsating theme that seems to embody a lot of the spirit of progressive rock. The music never stays on one pattern for long, and yet the overall effect is one of constant progression (no pun intended) from start to finish.

I was stuck with only MP3s to listen to between 1999 and 2003, but then this album came out and I could finally have a real disc again.

(I personally didn't like ZH's second album much and therefore haven't tried any of their newer albums. But this debut material is great.)