Paradox

Royal Hunt

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 1997)
• Original Release Date: September 23, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Magna Carta
• ASIN: B000003ZBG
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #174,139 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Detritus Web 5/23/01
like a mix of Yngwie Malmsteen and Dream Theater by way of Styx.

Product Description
The sound of the wind sweeps you into Royal Hunt's latest album, "Paradox". Driven by grandiose keyboards and searing guitars, this album has enough musical twists and turns to keep the listener glued to their headphones. The influences are numerous as rock and classical footnotes merge in the undertow. This incredibly mature album can be appreciated by the music lover and the musician alike. These five musicians pull together Andre's deeply personal look into mankind's view of what God is. Follow man's acknowledgment of God in a journey through the ages. How we see God, how we praise God, how we blame God.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Paradox: Neo-classical Dream Theater?, April 18, 2000

By	Joe White (Layton, Utah United States) - See all my reviews

Well, yeah -- kinda, sorta.

Royal Hunt would be best described as a neo-classical/progressive metal band. To my ears, Royal Hunt is a pretty even mix of Dream Theater, Shadow Gallery and neo-classical rock. People often compare Royal Hunt's neo-classical side to Yngwie Malmsteen. But it is the keyboards, courtesy of Andre Andersen (Royal Hunt's main songwriter), that give Royal Hunt a neo-classical sound, not the guitar. The guitar is more straight forward, kinda reminding me of George Lynch's style of playing at times.

This is a very good cd which borders on greatness from time to time.

D.C. Cooper should also be noted for his excellent vocals. I think of him as an even mix of Mike Baker (Shadow Gallery), James LaBrie (Dream Theater) and Dennis DeYoung (Styx) when it comes to his voice. That's a dang good combination.

The songs are a bit too much alike at times but they are good. Many "progressive" bands like to indulge in instrumental excessiveness but Royal Hunt never goes overboard. They come close but they never cross the line that seperates technical silliness from tasteful instrumentals.

Good album.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Package, November 30, 2003

By	Progged (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews

At least while DC Cooper was still there.

I would love to have this voice! This is probably my favorite Royal Hunt album. The sound is slightly less refined (but that seems to be the intent of the production), and works amazingly well as a "rough around the edges" sound.

River of Pain: excellent song... driving throughout

Tearing Down the world: Sometimes I don't see why bands throw in a vocal sample as an interlude from track to track (as is done in transition with River of Pain). But for that, the song is exceptional. The punch/counterpunch of keyboards to guitar is phenominal.

Message to God: A somewhat (hah!) bitter sounding song, perhaps a bit over the top on the keys, but hey - that my instrument, so it's not too much of a minus.

Long Way Home/Final Lullaby - both very hauntingly melodic songs - lullaby is a great ending sequence, and Long Way, a great segue.

Time Will tell - a good song, probably my least favorite song (lyrics sound too forced into their beats), but still will beat out many other bands best song!

Silent Scream - my favorite song on the album... WOW - keyboards rule the day here. Who'd have thought a harpsichord would kick on a progressive album?

Martial Arts - an instrumental on speed, adrenaline, and waaay to much caffine.... cool, huh?

Too bad DC left after only a few albums with Royal Hunt, or they would compete with Dream Theater and Shadow Gallery for most airplay in the house/car/computer (much to my wife's chagrin, "TURN IT DOWN!")

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing melodic progressive metal album., November 13, 2001

By	Justin Gaines "Corporate Rocker" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

After hearing D.C. Cooper's vocal performance on the first Explorers Club CD Age of Impact (which was pretty much that album's only redeeming virtue), I knew had to check out Royal Hunt. The first Royal Hunt album I tried turned out to be the band's best work - Paradox.

Paradox is a great album for anyone with an ear for progressive music. Royal Hunt's unique sound straddles the line between progressive metal and melodic rock, and has a strong emphasis on keyboards and vocal melodies. The vocals really set this album apart from the crowd, and that is largely due to the talents of vocalist DC Cooper. He has amazing range and his voice is just ideally suited to the kind of songs that keyboardist Andre Anderssen writes.

Paradox is the band's fourth studio album, and the second (and final) album to feature DC Cooper. It marked a definite step forward for the band in terms of musicianship, concept, and lyrical content, all of which seem more mature on this album. If the band hadn't fired DC Cooper shortly after its release, you get the feeling this could have been the start of something big.

This Royal Hunt album should appeal to fans of progressive and power metal, as well as melodic rock fans. It is quite melodic, the musicianship is technically very sound, and the vocal performance is top notch. Fans of DC's solo work should definitely pick Paradox up, as it is one of the best studio albums to feature the singer.

NOTE: There are a few different versions of this album, some with bonus material. The best I've seen is the slipcase edition that contains the Paradox: Closing the Chapter live album as a bonus disc.