ALBUM REVIEW: Watcher Of Skies – Lynx
Album names tend to conjure mental pictures and aural expectations of the unknown. With a name like Watcher Of Skies, German hard rockers LYNX magic up ideas of space, final frontiers, and expansive soundscapes. Released today, this debut album has a lot going for it.
What we’re seeing more of in this era of rock and metal is the humble instrumental opening track. Miscovery dwells in simplicity for a moment. The team of Franz Fesel (drums) and Phil Helm (bass) is quick to establish itself as a solid rhythm section. They set a steady foundation for Tim Künz’s (guitar/synths) BOSTON inspired melodies to wind itself around our brain stem. The influence of BOSTON’s light and airy melodies continues into Grey Man. Künz slips into the background as Marvin Kiefer (vocals/guitar) breezes into the forefront. Weaving a tale around the “fortress of evil”, Kiefer’s vocals sound like quintessential 70s rock. The echo on the reverb sounds sublime. Grey Man’s chorus slips in with no fanfare. The vocals border on mumble rock at times as the components blend into one. Sliding into the solo, the steeping dual tones try to sweep us away but we’re left stoic.
The near 45-minute run time gives LYNX a lot of room to weave complex stories. While this is something they take advantage of, it isn’t something they use to the fullest potential. Savage Mountain’s moody opening of wind whistling around mountain tops sets the tone for a song which could border on an epic. The guitar riff’s beautiful tone sucks us into the world of the Savage Mountain, but as the full band filters in, this song doesn’t sound as full as it needs to, and that space is noticeable. Kiefer’s vocals are reminiscent of early IRON MAIDEN in their metal quality, and they pick up a lot of the slack. Nothing saves Savage Mountain from its pacing issues though. The song grinds to a halt with its chorus and transitions. While the speed is recovered for the second verse, it quickly falls away again. We enjoy being teased with peaks and troughs of a song when it’s done right, but this leaves us feeling despondent.
Had this been a one-time occurrence we would have been able to let it slide – put it down to a little hiccup. As Watcher Of Skies plays out though, this isn’t the case. Eternity’s Hall paints a beautiful cinematic picture of a journey of epic proportions. The slow melody sweeps through like a chilled breeze. Ramping up into a faster intro, LYNX stop just short of the mark. Kiefer’s battle-weary voice calls through the void. LYNX commit to telling their story of traversing the near impossible for the sake of love. They just don’t lean into it enough. A lower frequency solo should have taken us to the gloomy grey clouds above. Yet it fails to launch, staying inside its own pocket and not straying from its place. With the following Odyssey, an instrumental track, we can hear the promise LYNX has. What we can also hear is a certain recalcitrance to capitalise.
In the latter half of Watcher Of Skies, LYNX treat us to upbeat numbers which play to their strengths. Heartbreak City sounds wonderfully like KISS. Its bass heavy riffs sink their teeth into us and grab our attention. This and Dark Shadows Rising sound much darker and more chaotic than the rest of the album and this is what we remember. Heartbreak City pushes Kiefer’s vocals to be much fuller within the lower tones. It makes us wonder why this part of the arsenal isn’t used to full effect. When coupled with galloping riffs, Kiefer and Künz are an incredible team. Moreso within Dark Shadows Rising as LYNX construct a song which plays to their vocalist’s strengths and shows the band at their fullest potential. They sound like a tight unit which focuses on supporting each other and how the minutia can serve the song for the better. It’s a shame then that this song comes close to the end of the record.
Hearing a band not quite hitting their potential for a debut album is always exasperating. We all know it’s there and we know they are more than capable of hitting their goal. It’s there within this record. Those examples prove why it’s disappointing when these don’t expand past those fleeting moments. With a little more time in the oven, Watcher Of Skies could have been a good album. Right now though, it feels a little under-baked and too raw in places.
Rating: 6/10
Watcher Of Skies is out now via No Remorse Records.
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