Khallice - "The Journey" Review

Artist/ Band: Khallice
Title: The Journey
Label: Magna carta Records
Year of Release: 2007/2003
Artist/ Band Link (click for details/ ordering)

The Review:

Now, I can’t decide how the name of this band is pronounced. Is it “Chalice” (meaning a trophy or prize) or “Callous” (meaning heartless or insensitive). You make the choice, as you are the one reading this. However, when I first put Khallice’s The Journey in my CD player, I could not get past the similarities to Dream Theater. Singer Alirio Netto’s voice is hauntingly like James LaBrie. Thankfully, as I listened to it more I found some different nuances and other influences like Sweden’s A.C.T and Glenn Hughes.

“Loneliness” is a blazing commencement, featuring a dual guitar/keyboard combination in unison that’s very pleasant. This unison style of playing becomes a calling card of the band as they incorporate it on a few of the tracks herein, often including the other players as well. Khallice members are undisputed virtuosos at their various instrument of choice and it shows right from the onset.

Other tracks of note are “Spiritual Jewel,” and the A.C.T inspired “Vampire.” I especially enjoyed “Vampire” since I’m such a big fan of this Swedish act(heh). If you are a prog metal fan and not afraid of some unabashed Dream Theater references, Khallice is an excellent purchase. Good quality progressive metal in the vein of DT, Shadow Gallery, Queensryche, etc.

Reviewed by Terry Jackson on September 8th, 2007

Tracks:

1. Loneliness

2. I've lost my faith

3. Spiritual jewel

4. Wrong words

5. Thunderstorm

6. Vampire

7. Turn the page

8. Prophecy

9. The journey

10. Stuck