Some reissues are a true blessing. Not only because you can acquire and have a physical copy of an album that is rare and crazy expensive to obtain, but also because they shed light on some old and maybe forgotten gems of our beloved music, that remained ‘’hidden’’, all those years.
Such a real diamond of an album, is by all means ”Cycles” by WICKED MARAYA. It was released back in 1994 and the fact that it has never been reissued since then, for such a long period of time of 30 years, it just leaves me on one hand wondering ‘’why not sooner’’, but on the other hand, heaving a sigh of relief, thinking ‘’finally’’ and ‘’better late than never’’.
WICKED MARAYA is a U.S. prog metal band from Long Island, New York, and ”Cycles” their debut album, a mix of Queensryche, Savatage, Crimson Glory, etc. Finally, “Cycles [30th Anniversary Edition remastered]” is here.
The time ‘’Cycles’’ was recorded, WICKED MARAYA were already a very tight and really prepared strong team of musicians, because it had been more than 10 years of experience since 1983, when the band initially was formed under the moniker ‘’MYSTIC’’, which they changed later on in 1989. They signed to Mausoleum Records in 1993.
This is classic ’90s prog metal, for many, the best era for the genre. Despite its prog nature, WICKED MARAYA songs are short, effective, heavy, varied in arrangements.
In 1992 WICKED MARAYA relocated to Los Angeles to showcase their talent on the West Coast. The band quickly became a force on the Sunset Strip. Their heavy melodic progressive style was a bit left of center from the usual acts found there, and their bombastic performances at The Whisky, The Roxy, and Gazzarri’s had the Strip buzzing. However, despite the growing buzz, no record deal came their way.
Much to the band’s surprise, a call came from Belgium label Mausoleum Records, which was opening a NYC office. WICKED MARAYA would sign a recording contract with the legendary heavy metal label. In November of 1993, the band and the now legendary producer Jim Morris (Savatage, Crimson Glory, Iced Earth) were flown to Germany to begin recording “Cycles”. The album, under the guidance of Morris, would be a moody, melodic and precisely crafted effort.
The outcome of those recording sessions was superb – U.S. Power / Progressive Metal at its best. The creativity and the intricate – genius songwriting presented in this album, can only be compared with that of top-notch bands like Crimson Glory in ‘’Transcendence’’ or Queensryche in ‘’Operation Mindcrime’’.
If the aforementioned sentence, sounds like a frivolous exaggeration, just listen to the excellent song under the title ‘’Resurrection’’ and tell me if the dynamics and the extension of Lou Falco’s soaring expressive voice, does not remind you of late Midnight’s voice from Crimson Glory. The same words go also, for instance, about the song ‘’Face In the Mirror’. No need to mention, as well, ‘’Watching Over’’, that brings in mind Geoff Tate and Queensryche Operation Mindcrime era.
Though not extremely technical, the album has definitely a progressive character. The marvellous riffs and the brilliant song-structures are very hooking, while the drumming is really massive, producing a wall of powerful emotions.
Furthermore, the groove in the sound is present throughout the CD, especially in the song ‘’Another Day’’, but not in an extend that would be ‘’too much’’ or ‘’annoying’’ to the ears of someone fond of straightforward and direct U.S. Metal. It adds a lot though, to the emotional soundscape.
For example, in ‘’Forever‘’, it feels like Sanctuary are meeting with Nermore and the late Warrel Dane expresses different variations of his voice, trying to compete against himself. There are so many beautiful milestones in this musical journey, with songs such as ‘’Alone’’ and ‘’Sign of Heaven’’, that the listener does not lose interest whatsoever, not even for a couple of seconds.
What ”Cycles” offers is an album full of grim, metal like what Queensryche went for on parts for Operation Mindcrime and Rage For Order without the ‘tech’, but this is much darker and more ominous. The song-writing is top-notch and every single track has a hook that brings you back for more. This album has a perfect ’90s metal atmosphere that needs to be experienced.
What a pity would that be, for some albums, to remain ‘’under the radar’’ for ever, without having the opportunity to reintroduce themselves to the fans, in a potentially much greater extend than before. To make new ‘’acquaintances’’ worldwide, to be known by total new generation of heavy metal fans.
We shouldn’t be waiting for 30 years for such fine metal albums to be reissued.
Highly Recommended
01 – Another Day
02 – Jacob’s Dance
03 – Resurrection
04 – Face In The Mirror
05 – Johnny
06 – Watching Over
07 – Alone
08 – Winter’s Garden
09 – Forever
10 – Sign Of Heaven
11 – The Legacy
Lou Falco – lead vocals
Michael Iadevaio – guitar and backing vocals
Dan Malsch – guitar and backing vocals
John Iadevaio – bass
Mike Nack – drums
with:
Brad Trumbell, Jim Morris – keyboards
Steve Gruden, Todd Plant – backing vocals
WICKED MARAYA – Cycles [30th Anniversary Edition remastered] (2024), MP3+FLAC
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