Urizen - Universe
  Genre: Experimental/Progressive metal
  Release date: 2007
  Label: Unsigned
  Band Web Site: http://www.urizenonline.com

Urizen can best be described as an experimental progressive metal band.  Their full-length album, Autocratopolis, is an enjoyable opus that truly stands out in terms of originality.  Their most recent CD, which is an EP entitled Universe, while also bursting with originality and experimentation, has left me wanting.

While Autocratopolis was a mixture of black metal-style drums and keys, Mike Patton-style vocals, and lounge music, Universe is a mixture of metal, somewhat Mike Patton-style vocals and Nintendo.  No, you are not seeing things.  I said “Nintendo.”  Somehow they used an NES to make a lot of the music.  They still use a lot of double bass and black metal-style guitar riffing, but this time it just does not mix well at all.

The first track is “A Noiseless Flash.”  I really love the intro to this song, as it reminds me of music you would hear while playing an eight-bit shooter.  Eventually the double bass and heavy guitars kick in, all while the NES is playing some music of its own.  The vocals, as mentioned before, still have somewhat of a Mike Patton vibe to them but unfortunately not as much.   Another interesting thing about this song is that at the end the music fades out in a style much like in an eight-bit shooter when you’re about to approach a stage boss.  Overall a pleasing tune. 

The next track is “A Budding Consciousness.”  This one also has an intro using just the NES.  Then the heavy guitars come in.  At one point the NES does what’s probably the closest thing on this EP that could be considered an eight-bit solo.

“An Unfortunate Realization” is the third track.  It’s basically instrumental mellow video game music that you would likely hear while viewing a cut seen in a NES game.

“A New Revelation” has a neat part where the “speaking” noise from Punch Out comes in and a man translates what it’s saying.  Unfortunately that’s the only part of the song that’s really worth mentioning.

Finally, there is “Nothing is Epic,” which is my favorite track on the CD.  It actually reminds me a bit of a mellow Nine Inch Nails piece.

Overall I’m disappointed.  I was really looking forward to this EP after listening to the great Autocratopolis but in the end I felt like a kid opening a Christmas present only to end up with new socks.

With that said, the band still has potential.  If it can combine the great song writing in the first album with the NES element of the Universe EP, a masterpiece could very well be born.

My final score for Universe is a 3 out of 5.  Its originality and the use of the NES in interesting ways is the only thing keeping it from having a lower score.

Review written by: Keith H.         
Date: June 30, 2009             
Rating: 3 stars out of 5