Search - Cry Havoc :: Caught In A Lie

Melodic hard rock overload!! Way too good to handle!

Nikiforos V. Skoumas | Athens Greece, Cambridge UK | 03/07/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Cry Havoc" was a melodic hard rock band from Scotland UK that debuted in 2002 with "Fuel that feeds the fire". There were plans for a second album to be released in 2004 which never materialized. "Caught in a lie" collects the recordings that were to become the second album and gives the opportunity to lead singer/guitarist Stevie Durrand to close "Cry Havoc" chapter on a really high note.



So, the sleeve notes clarify that the songs here are demo versions that were to be re-recorded; Personally, with the exception of one or two songs near the end of the album, I find the production of "Caught in a lie" faultless. The compositions are scholastically developed, demonstrating multiple musical layers (heavy riffs, topped by infectious melodies supported by a thick rhythm section), undeniable intensity in the performances and admirable conviction to the melodic cause.

Having played the album over ten times, this is the source of both satisfaction and frustration. Satisfaction due to the track-after-track melodic hard rock attack, eventually leading to the frustrating thought: "Did they really have to break up???- this is way too good to be the last of them".



If I had to tag the sound of "Cry Havoc" I would say it is a blend of "Jaded Heart" and "Bonfire" taking ONLY the best out of these bands. After the first three songs proved themselves to be killer melodic rockers, I was intrigued to find out where the quality of the album would slip up; surely a 15 track album is bound to have at least a few weak moments, or so I though... Track 15 closed the album and it is 15 out of 15 for "Cry Havoc".



I very much hope that Durrand will present new works in the melodic hard rock field, or even reform "Cry Havoc" for that matter as there is too much talent here to go to waste; Having said that, their bass player Paul Logue has since become a member of "Eden's Curse" the new but highly acclaimed melodic metal act led by American singer Michael Eden.



If you are a fan of melodic rock/hard rock or of any of the bands mentioned above, you are going to get a huge dose of the sound you like. Considering the 15 songs on offer, their quality and the relatively low price, this release is practically a freebie.





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