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A CHINESE FIREDRILL

Circle

(ProgRock Records)

For most people Joey Vera is best known for his work with? Armored Saint. You guessed right. But as the talented musician he is it's been hard for him to just limit himself to one band. That is why we've seen him perform on albums by f x Fates Warning. A Chinese Firedrill is if I understand it correctly his first solo album. It would have been so easy for Joey Vera to just record an album full of Armored Saint/Fates Warning metal but instead he's opted to show his more sensitive side. And sensitive this record is. At times it can be described as similar to an Opeth without any death metal tendencies, a Porcupine Tree without the prog rock tendencies if you like. It?s more open with even a (lo and behold) pop sensibility to the music. I was cautious at first but I warmed to it.

-Anders Ekdahl