Search - Abydos :: Abydos

The Little Boy's Heavy Me(n)tal Shadow Opera

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 10/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Abydos is Vanden Plas vocalist Andy Kuntz' first solo album. It's strange cause I didn't hear about this project until a few months ago and when I did I thought it was going to be one of those albums that float in the prog rock territory. Direct references were being made to the 60's and 70's but upon hearing the CD I was quite surprised at the 'heaviness' factor to be found on this album. This album bears certain similar characteristics with Vanden Plas' 2002 album Beyond Daylight, which is in my opinion despite all the label support still one of the most underrated prog metal albums of the last couple of years.



Based on Andy Kuntz' stage play "The Inhabitants of My Diary", this is a concept inspired by the death of three important people in Kuntz' life in the year 2003, one of them being his father. Andy Kuntz created this album to cope with these dramatic events. Since he's always played leading roles in various musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar and Nostradamus, theatre has always been an important part of his life. Rumours have it that Abydos is the birthplace of theatre in ancient history and as the concept of this album is sort of like an opera, Kuntz felt Abydos was a very fitting name. The album documents a fabulous story about fears, doubts and vital questions which occur when one is losing a beloved one. The concept, however, is vaguely explained in the booklet as Kuntz has already been approached by a number of playhouses which are eager to stage his play. Still, it is evident, reading from the lyrics, that Abydos is a colourful story with some subtle autobiographical touches.



Vanden Plas drummer Andreas Lill kicks off the record with one of the most exciting drum solos ever and the intro delves into "You Broke the Sun" which features Andy Kuntz exploring with incredible vocal harmonies. The song is catchy, poignant, progressive and heavy -- a terrific start. As "Silence" follows, the undeniable James Labrie comparisons begin to show. Some people may even think it's Labrie indeed, but the successive tracks reveal that Kuntz' voice is perhaps an octave or two lower. Accompanying Kuntz on their instruments are Stephan Glass and Michael Krauss on guitars. Glass had also recorded Vanden Plas' Accult acoustic project back in 1996 and it's him who produced Abydos as well. Moreover Glass and Krauss composed the music with Kuntz contributing the lyrics and vocal melodies. The title track is the only song where Kuntz also had a finger in songwriting. Glass and Krauss also play bass, piano and keys. They both prove to be a great duo, particularly in the opening riff and instrumental section of "God's Driftwood". The duo make their talents shine further in the acoustic guitar solo of "Radio Earth" before kicking into a full-blast heavy rocker. The last two tracks "Wildflowersky" and "A Boy Named Fly", also the longest songs on the album, both contain beautiful melodic instrumental parts with sublime orchestration. The latter also features female solo performances by Charlotte Baumann and Mayka Kiefer to bring more depth to the composition.



The title track "Abydos" has an eerily dark intro, almost gothic in a sense, but it quickly shifts mood with the introduction of the soft piano in the background. Andy Kuntz' vocals are without question totally different from everything else he's sung before. This is one of the best songs he's ever penned. Again the orchestration and arrangements in the songs handled by Stephan Glass are top notch. There are bits of everything here, the trademark Vanden Plas sound we've all grown to love over the years with more emphasis given on Kuntz' vocals and lyrics, some spoken parts and narration we'd normally hear on an Ayreon disc, 70's prog rock elements seamlessly blended with heavier guitar riffs and solos, and a great understanding of orchestration to blanket the entire record. If any of these ingredients appeal to you, Abydos is right up your alley."

An epic

Vinod Bhat | Sunnyvale, CA, USA | 05/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Welcome to one of the most underrated album ever. I should not say underrated, more like ignored. Because I have yet to meet one person who actually listened to this album and didnt rate it high. Ignored and unpublicized are the right words. It took me over a year after the album was released to discover it. And that was only because it has Vanden Plas' vocalist Andy Kuntz on it. Wow, how easily such a classic can slip under the radar.

Now to to the music itself. Folks, this is all you can ask from prog metal. It has crunching riffs, stellar musicianship, complex arrangements, soaring vocal harmonies and most importantly very melodic songs.

It starts off with a small but powerful drum-centric intro and then move onto the album opener 'You broke the Sun' that starts off lightly and then picks up symphonic steam. Very Dream Theateresque in style, we then segue into the more metal 'Silence'. Stefan Glas and Michael Krauss show that they are not taking any back seat in this album. After the beautiful ballad 'Far away from Heaven' comes the heavy 'Coppermoon' which would fit right in any Vanden Plas album. Now Abydos up the ante by introducing orchestral arangements. 'Gods Driftwood' and the title track 'Abydos' have some really moving moments. The final track 'A boy named fly' goes through all emotions on the album, with enough ideas in this song itself for lesser bands to make a whole album out of.

Is it another Vanden Plas album, you ask? No. There are a couple of moments where the singing (obviously) and some riffs sound very Vanden Plas-like but overall Abydos has its own signature sound. I rate this album higher than anything Vanden Plas has ever done. This is not something that Andy Kuntz just put together overnight. Apart from the excellent music it has a fantasy story line (unlike the run of the mill plot based albums) and excellent production.

Highly Recommended."

Hail Andy Kuntz!!!!

Elton Lee | Boston, MA United States | 11/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is really an awesome prog album fronted by Vanden Plas lead vocalist's Andy Kuntz. Superb Prog in its true sense. Only an artist such as Andy Kuntz cab pull it off. Full of melodic passages, heavy riff and great songwriting. Most of the songs are memorable with sing along choruses..... I felt like this is Vanden Plas' new album.. This album has a very grand theme and concept to it so I am totally enjoying and into ABYDOS. Emotionally attached to Abydos for sure......If you are a prog fan and knows about Vanden Plas... I urge you to get this. Never for once will disappoint you, I guaranteed!!"