| Jaded Heart – ‘Perfect Insanity’ |
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THE BAND:
Johan Fahlberg – vocals
Peter Östros – guitars
Henning Wanner – keyboards
Michael Müller – bass
Axel Kruse - drums
TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) “Intro” – Special effects intro.
2.) “Love Is A Killer” – This track opens with a fairly standard heavy metal guitar riff. There is a snare drum and bass guitar fill underneath the end of the first measure and first half of the second measure. The main body of the intro is the third & fourth measures. There is a small tom-tom fill connecting the musical intro with the musical pre-verse. The band used the same rhythm guitar arrangement of the intro for the musical pre-verse and verse. Instead of changing the rhythm guitar for the musical verse the band connected the pre-verse with the verse with a lyric line that consisted of a backing vocal. This is something you see a lot in progressive/metal bands. The music arrangement does not change until the musical pre- chorus. In the way the band wrote the hook of the chorus gave the chorus a breakdown feel. After the second chorus you can hear a small keyboard arrangement bleeding through. As the keyboard progresses it turns into a rhythm guitar riff. It seems as this riff progresses through the intro the faster and more intense sounding the riff gets. There isn’t any lead guitar solo however that is not unusual for this style of music.
3.) “Fly Away” – This track opens with a vocal effect done with a keyboard. This keyboard effect switches to a rhythm guitar riff. There are two cymbal crashes that connect the change. The more I listen to this riff the more I want to call it a lead riff than rhythm riff. There are several huge drum fills underneath the lead guitar riff. Also underneath the lead riff there is a rhythm guitar that kicks-in . This rhythm guitar plays only fill-in chords and signifies the main rhythm intro. For the main musical intro both guitars switch to the same lead riff. This gives the intro a very intense feel. There is a musical change connecting the intro with the musical verse where the band drastically slows down the arrangement. For this connecting section the lead guitar is playing more or less a minor lead guitar solo. Underneath this slowed down section it sounded as if there was an underling acoustic guitar arrangement. For the musical verse Peter switched the rhythm guitar back to the lead guitar riff of the intro. The fourth lyric line consisted of a backing harmony. The last lyric line also consisted of a backing harmony. There is a music arrangement change for the musical chorus. The chorus was almost too progressive, if that even makes sense. The lead guitar solo is after the second chorus and kind of laid back. Underneath the lead guitar solo there is a very subtle acoustic guitar arrangement. The lead guitar solo runs underneath the first half of the third chorus. There is a minor lead guitar solo underneath the fourth chorus and outro.
4.) “Blood Stained Lies” - This track opens with a very intense progressive metal intro arrangement. Peter overdubbed two different rhythm guitar riffs for the intro arrangement. The band used the same arrangement for the musical verse as the intro. The only difference was Peter altered the underling rhythm riff by adding a second chord. There are several backing harmonies laced within the lyrical chorus. There is a small arrangement change for the musical pre-chorus. For progressive heavy metal this track had a huge hook attached to the chorus. After the second chorus there is a very cool small breakdown section that leads to the lead guitar solo. The way the band recorded the guitar solo had to be one the coolest things I had ever heard studio wise. The outro consisted of a second lead guitar solo. This solo sounded as if Peter double tracked certain sections of it to give it a twin lead guitar feel.
5.) “Tonight” – This intro opens with one guitar riff out of one speaker, then a small drum fill, then the same guitar riff out of the other speaker. The difference between the two is one was done with a guitar effect and one wasn’t. The main musical intro consisted of both riffs. There is a small arrangement change for the musical verse. For the musical chorus the band slowed the music down just a little. Though the song has a complex feel to it, it really is fairly basic and straight forward.
6.) “Freedom Call” –This track opens with a fairly standard progressive metal intro arrangement. As the intro progresses Peter overdubbed a second rhythm guitar riff. There are a couple tom-tom fills underneath the two rhythm guitars. All the way through Axel keeps steady time on the hi-hat. There is a minor lead guitar scale along with a double-bass drum pattern connecting the musical intro with the musical verse. For me when I played these double bass drum patterns were a blast to play. For me I felt the arrangement was so intense that it over shadowed the lead vocals. There is a small arrangement change for the musical chorus. The guys wrote a very cool progressive hook for the chorus. The lead guitar solo on this track was by far the best on the CD!!!!Too be perfectly honest it was the solo that made this song!
7.) “One Life One Death” – This intro consisted of an acoustic guitar over the top of a percussion section. As the intro progresses it sounded as if the band incorporated a small orchestrated section, this was added to give the song more depth. The guys used the same arrangement for the musical verse as the one they used for the intro. Please don’t chastise me however because the lyric lines of the verse consisted of backing harmonies this gave at least the first verse an ‘N Sync or Backstreet Boys sound. The vocals up through the first chorus are just amazing. For the second verse the band drops the computer generated percussion for a standard acoustic drum line. Peter also incorporates a small electric guitar arrangement. For progressive music I was kind of impressed with this track.
8.) “Rising” – The first half of this intro was done with a sixteenth-note arrangement. For the second half they dropped the sixteenth-note to a fairly standard progressive intro. For the second half of the intro the band let the keyboard bleed through the arrangement more. There was a small arrangement change for the musical verse. My opinion, right off the band the band ruined the song by the way the lead vocals were done! So far the best part of the song is the backing vocals of the chorus. There are several cool tom-tom fills underneath the lyric lines of the chorus. There was a minor lead guitar solo connecting the second and third chorus. There is a minor solo underneath the fourth & fifth choruses.
9.) “Hell Just Arrived” –This track opens with a Styx – ‘Mr. Roboto’ influenced keyboard. About a measure into the intro Axel plays a huge drum fill. After this drum fill Peter plays a small rhythm guitar arrangement he double-tracked a minor lead guitar solo over the top of it. There is a small musical change for the musical verse. Too me, though there will be many out there that will disagree. I felt the musical arrangement and Johan vocal lyric arrangement was vey reminiscent to early Queensrÿchre. There was a small musical arrangement for the musical chorus. The lead guitar was double-tracked and one of the best on the release. There is a minor lead guitar solo over the top of the outro.
10.) “Psycho Kiss” – This track opens with a lead guitar riff. Underneath the lead guitar riff Peter plays the same thing only in chord form. There is a small arrangement change for the musical verse. The backing harmony of the pre-chorus is by far what makes the song. If you are into older Helloween then you will fall in love with this track!!!! There is a lead guitar solo connecting the second and third chorus. Peter double tracked the hell out of it making it what could be the best solo on the release! At first glance you think you’re not going to like it, then the next thing you know the song has you by the short hairs!!!!
11.) “Come To The Feast” –This track consisted of a classic hard rock/blues intro arrangement. There is a minor lead guitar solo over the top of the intro arrangement. Peter altered a few rhythm guitar notes of the intro for the musicals verse. However, he pretty much kept it the same and one you hear it you will see why. The backing vocals of the pre-chorus gave the song a huge hook. There is a minor leaf guitar solo underneath the first chorus. After the second chorus there is a small breakdown section and lead guitar solo.
12.) “Exterminated” – This intro consisted of two different rhythm guitar riffs separated by a drum fill the only difference between the two is one of them was done with a guitar effect. The main musical verse was done with both riffs over the top of each other. The band slows the song down for the musical chorus. You definitely hear the bands progressive roots on this track. The lead guitar solo is after the second chorus. The music arrangement underneath the first half of the solo had a abstract feel. Then when they kicked-in the last chorus they changed the arrangement back to the original arrangement. The solo runs through the rest of the track.
‘Perfect Insanity’ marks Jaded Heart’s tenth release in fifteen years. In those fifteen years I literally requested one review copy and that was for their 1999 – ‘IV’ CD, released November 12, 1999 through MTM Records. My request was turned down. So looking back on it instead of trying to go through regular channels I should have just contacted the band directly! The production and engineering value along with some of the ideas the guys came up with production wise was not only amazing but some of the best I’ve heard. The guys run the gambit musically reminiscing music style from everyone from Styx to Queensrÿche even taking the time to throw in a song that has N’Sync & Backstreet Boys backing harmonies. To be honest I never thought I would use a reference to those two bands in a heavy metal review! I have heard samples of the bands previous stuff so for those fans world-wide you know exactly what you are getting! However for the fans in the United States if you like the edgier Queensrÿche stuff and you’re a fan of metal but not a huge progressive/metal fan than this release is well-worth checking out!