ETERNAL FLIGHT – Retrofuture

It’s safe to say France’s Eternal Flight is Gérard Fois’ band. Active since 2001, Fois wrote, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered the band’s fourth album Retrofuture. The sound is self-described as a powerful and clear mixture of Judas Priest, Savatage, Deep Purple, Dream Theater, Opeth and Nevermore which is melodic, catchy, and interesting.

Fois delivers, as promised, a powerful and clear sound.  Would you expect a vocalist mixing his own album to feature himself prominently?  You are correct!  Fois’ vocals are clearly heard on all tracks.  This isn’t a bad thing.  He’s a decent vocalist similar to Warrel Dane of Nevermore/Sanctuary but less gritty. Fortunately, he doesn’t highlight his vocals at the expense of the rest of the band; he maintains a quality punch of drums and bass.  Good examples are the pounding rhythms of “Angels Of Violence” and “Machine God”. The guitar work is generally average.  Occasionally, there are interesting bursts of virtuosity such as the intricate solo near the end of “The Journey”.

While Retrofuture’s songs feature melodic and structure elements of Progressive Power Metal, the consistent delivery of catchy songs proves elusive. Fois often chooses a slow, deliberate vocal delivery which the listener easily understands but tends to sap any sense of urgency in the lyrics.  Good examples of this are the lead trio, “Poison”, “Retrofuture”, and “Danger Calling”.  When Fois sings naturally such as in “Labyrinth” or “The Journey”, or with a mixed cadence as in “Succubus”, he achieves better results.

Retrofuture succeeds in presenting a clear and powerful Progressive Power Metal sound but falls short on a consistent delivery of songs with memorable hooks. Recommended for current fans of the band and curious fans of the genre.

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