The debut album Resurrected in Time of ALTERED MINDS stroke as a thunder a couple of weeks ago when we first listened to the album. It is a great heavy/power/progressive metal album stemming directly from the late 80s/early 90s where that sound reached its peak.
It is not surprising that the sound of the band is so nostalgic and classic, and has nothing to do with todaysβ pseudo-progressive bands that are full of metalcore, djent and other elements which are completely irrelevant to the roots of the genre when that started in the mid 80s. The band actually is not new, but was formed in 1990 and had their first demo in 1992 with 4 tracks. ALTERED MINDS disbanded in 1995 but several of its members are found to work with AWAKEN, a power/progressive metal band also from New York.
All this shows how concrete the foundations of the band are, and that we not talking about a new band coming out of nowhere trying to impress with technical and complex playing, but a mature band that knows that feeling comes first in power/progressive metal. So, Resurrected in Time is full of lyrical melodies, resembling not only QUEENSRYCHE and FATES WARNING and the emotion found in their 80s albums, but mostly the feeling of power/progressive metal bands that followed afterwards. This means, that those who have adored the first albums of LETHAL, Z-LOT-Z, CRIMSON GLORY, OLIVER MAGNUM and similar US bands, will discover in ALTERED MINDS a new magical band that promises many hours of serious, easy-listening and meaningful power/progressive metal.
Listening to the album, is like you are already listening to something classic, that has already passed successfully the test of time. The albumβs tracks sound like hidden gems from the 80s and the 90s, making the listener feel like he has discovered something unique and rare from the past. Everything, from the guitar melodies, to the great vocals of Mike Accurso, bring in mind that beautiful era where progressive metal was all about expressing feelings in a different way, a lyrical and epic way, not complicated and technical-jazzy playing.
ALTERED MINDS and their first album are perhaps the biggest surprises for the 80s and the 90s power/progressive metal fans. The bandβs first effort is more than successful, bringing out a very nostalgic feeling that many miss nowadays, and a sound that is not found in the rest of the scene. The band is preparing its second album and we all hope that after some releases of similar high caliber, ALTERED MINDS will be placed among the biggest bands of the legendary US power/progressive metal genre!
Please check the discussion about the band in our forum pages.
