ECHOES (E)

Echoes is the first full-length studio album by the Dutch prog and symphonic metal band Orpheo from the city of Groningen. The album contains seven rather long tracks in the best tradition of old-fashioned progressive rock. Only the sound and guitar riffs are more contemporary. You'll hear influences of Dream Theater, Nightwish and Edenbridge - but hardly any soprano - and also from bands like Arena. The sound quality is quite acceptable and the musicians play well although they never approach the class of top of the bill professional acts like Dream Theater. Wendelin Visser's voice reminds me of Sadé, but then a little lower and not as sensual, thus perhaps more appropriate for jazz. Sometimes she even reminds me of the way Jerney Kaagman (Earth & Fire) used to sing. However, the lack of a constant vibration makes her voice rather monotone and her range is not very impressive. As far as I am concerned, highlights on Echoes are the last tracks Shame Culture and Outside In. In Shame Culture, the end is bringing back memories of A Day In The Life by The Beatles, but more important is the full richness of variation and all present elements of prog. In spite of all the good tunes, nice hooks and tasteful solos the week spot remains the singing. I don’t know (yet) how Visser's performance live is like, but in the studio she doesn’t bring about the feeling of shivers down my spine that singers like Annie Haslam (Renaissance), Moya Brennan (Clannad), Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) and Floor Jansen (After Forever) have. Her looks are great but for me she doesn’t have that special touch that a band needs to realize a breakthrough to a bigger audience. Having said that, no doubt that Orpheo has got potential, certainly Vlek and Marquart Scholtz have delivered proof of their capabilities in this respect.