The Towers of Avarice

Zero Hour | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 6, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sensory Records
• ASIN: B000059M3X
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,390 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #52 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > Hard Rock & Metal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb musicianship, packaging, and production, March 6, 2002

By 

Just Bill (Grand Rapids, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Towers of Avarice (Audio CD)

When I first listened to The Towers of Avarice (Zero Hour's second CD, their self-titled first being all but out of print), I wasn't impressed. I had a hard time getting into the relentless, complex riffing.

I've given the matter more thought, and added to it two new elements: (1) time, and (2) a growing appreciation for different forms of progressive metal, power metal, and symphonic metal.

In other words, my mind expanded and my tastes broadened.

So here I am once more (say, didn't Marillion coin that phrase 20 years ago on their classic album Script For a Jester's Tear?) listening to Zero Hour's The Towers of Avarice.

And I must say I'm detecting much more depth, originality, and creativity this time around. It's still complex and relentless riffing, but now I have a better perspective on what it all means.

In short, The Towers of Avarice is a truly -- dare I say it? -- towering achievement. It manages to snag the best of Dream Theater-like bands, add the quirkiness of, say, Pain of Salvation, mix in a drop or two of Symphony X's power, and cap it all off with a smattering of Queensryche's mysteriousness and sense of drama (check out "Reflections," for example).

Guitarist/keyboardist Jasun Tipton is a force to be reckoned with. He's got all the chops and the fleet-fingered dexterity of John Petrucci. Yet, I would urge Jasun to develop more majesty, grandeur, and melody in his songwriting and playing.

Vocalist Erik Rosvold has a powerful voice. Sort of like a cross between Jorn Lande, Russell Allen and Geoff Tate (on the beautiful "Reflections," for example). Erik can belt it out, growl with the best of 'em, yet drop down into a smooth-toned melodic sound when necessary (and I wish it were necessary a little more often just for the sake of variety).

Drummer Mike Guy is creative, clever, and adept at handling all the time changes and bursts of speed.

Bassist Troy Tipton is nimble, fluid, and quite understated throughout. He seems to have much more to say musically than he's able to say on The Towers of Avarice. (The bass break in "Demise and Vestige," for instance, seems to indicate he has a flair for the dramatic -- and the ability to pull it off.) I'd like to see Troy's playing featured a bit more on future releases.

In all, The Towers of Avarice is six tracks of accomplished songwriting and musicianship. It's heavy. At times, it's busy. But, wow, does this music compel repeated listenings.

And, although this may seem like a small point in the grand scheme of things, I really appreciate the look of quality in releases by the Sensory label. The cover and inside graphics are first-rate. And the whole thing smacks of class. This is a label to be reckoned with. This Ken Golden guy knows what he's doing. He's even the Executive Producer of The Towers of Avarice, so he not only has an eye for quality packaging, he has an ear for fantastic music.

I recommend The Towers of Avarice. If you don't get it the first listen or two, don't despair. Set it aside for a month. Listen to a few other things. Then return to it once your horizons have expanded.

Zero Hour is obviously a progressive metal band with more to say in the future.

I suggest we listen.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning performance, March 26, 2001

By 

Hawk (Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Towers of Avarice (Audio CD)

Zero Hour is a relative newcomer to the progressive metal scene yet they have arrived with a blast. This is their second album and its a real stunner. Forget the Dream Theater clones, this band is out to make it own mark on the scene. I would go as far as to say that they try to re-define the genre.

Incorperating pounding staccato riffs [that remind me somewhat of Fear Factory] with gentle ballad like passages, they carve out their own nice in the overcrowded prog-metal genre. Their singer could be described as a mix between Ronnie James Dio and John Arch. I say "could" because he has a very unique sound of its own. Prog-metal like you never heard it before. It kinda sounds like... Zero Hour.

And if that would not be enought this album is also a concept album with a very interesting theme behind it. Combine this with a first class production and the beautifull artwork done by none other than Travis Smith and you have one MONSTER of an album on your hands. This will be a classic.

Get it NOW! You will not regret it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ahh...much better, August 14, 2002

By 

Mattowarrior "Mattowarrior" (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Towers of Avarice (Audio CD)

I anticipated this album with a grain of salt, expecting a less technical Spiral Architect/Watchtower type band. Well, I got that, but also a lot more..This band seems to have a lot more emotion and feeling than the afore metioned bands, enough to be peers to Fates Warning! I cannot think of a recent prog metal release that I have liked this much. The singer brings to mind both Dio and Ray Alder, but that's actually a good thing. The cover art is worth getting alone, and the concept is very original even for this type of music. Highly recommended.