No frills here, no elaborate anecdote, no overly thoughtful (yet amazingly introspective) introductory paragraph, Miles Beyond just plain know how to rock!



That's it, all you get for an intro, on with the CD.



Revolving around the powerful dual guitar attack of Tim Moody and Paul Owsinski, this disc is a welcome trip back to days gone by. Old school production, the guitar attack of Tipton/Downing, the attitude of Manowar, good lyrics, with epic vocals reminiscent of Bruce Dickinson, what else you could honestly want from a power/thrash outfit??? The 2004 release from this young band is a reminder of the glory days of metal, plain and simple.



Let's go ahead and highlight the things that make this album cooler than your mother at an Ac/Dc concert: 1. Strong vocals .... i said it before, I'll say it again ... vintage Dickinson.

2. Not over the top ... alot of times, power metal tries WAY too hard, but Miles Beyond maintains the characteristic cheese without crossing the line.

3. W.A. Mozart .... yeah, that's right, the composer. "Eine Kleine Nachtmusick" is quoted in a solo here, that, my friends takes ball in itself. Any band with the gusto to put Mozart into a metal vein gets instant points from me. I had to listen to the solo at LEAST 10 times before i accepted they had done it. For having more balls than a Steven Seagal action flick, this gets some serious points.

4. Tasteful solos .... what a concept! Two guitarists who realize that playing like Yngwie Malmsteen can be often confused for 6 stringed masturbation. These guys aren't hyper speed shredmasters .... they're ROCKERS! The emphasis isn't on personal pride, it's about making listenable music. This is amazingly respectable and the solos presentd on this disc are done GREAT.

5. Two part guitar harmony .... well harmonized guitars are cool. Miles Beyond has well harmonized guitars. Get the idea?

6. Ego strokin', balls to the wall attitude. When you write a song about how much cooler your bands is than anybody else's and keep it tasteful and listenable .... you're awesome. You're twice as cool when the said ego stroke is ALSO the name of your band AND album. Rock 'n Roll fellas!

7. The lyrics to Vlad The Impaler .... cool lyrics mean something to me. I'm a death metal fan, and these lyrics are AWESOME ... the chorus to the song:



"Impaler, bringer of death torture your victims till their last breath

On stakes of wood they hang waiting for their blood to drain

Impaler, bringer of death torture your victims till their last breath

You see the pain in their eyes praying to God to let them die"



By now, you certainly get the idea. This is a fine slab of guitar driven power thrash, but without being overdone. While the focus of the band is obviously the dual guitar assault, bassist Larry Moody and drummer Tod Fisher have their roles in the band and fill them with absolute perfection. Their presence is felt throughout the disc, but no instrument ever dominates at an inoppurtune time. Moody lays down some solid bottom end with Fisher providing a very strong backbone, with the occassional double bass filled reminder that he can play with the big boys.



It's apparent what happened here. A bunch of skilled musicians got together to form a band ... they had two options:



1. Find a keyboardist and play Progressive Metal in the vein of Dream Theater.

2. Play good old rock n roll and have tons of fun doing it.



Luckily for us, they chose the second route. Each of the 4 members in Miles Beyond is a superb musician, and each has their place to shine on this album. The production is a bit lo-fi, but guess what? If this had been done with a crystal clear, 21st century production, it wouldn't have the same effect. This production is what their influences used, what the GODS of metal paved the way on. They've maintained this vintage feel and it really adds to the overall effect.



All in all, this album is just great. It's a well rounded, guitar driven ride on a heavy metal Harley Davidson. These 4 guys from Flint, Michigan have done what few bands today seem to be able to do: bring the focus back to the music. I'm more than satisfied with this release, and if you're a fan of the classics, with a tolerance for the standard helping of cheese, do yourself a favor an order this gem.

Rev. Spynal Rating: 9