Mellotron is a fledgling Prog Metal band from Michigan. This, their debut EP, is loaded with some accomplished musicianship, tight changes, nice ambience and good variation. Don’t let the EP tag fool you, these 5 songs clock in at right around 35 minutes. With songs ranging from just over 5 to just over 9 minutes, there is a lot to soak in. Is it worth the half hour you have to invest?

Well, in short order, I’d say yeah. But, if I stopped there I would not be doing my job as a reviewer, now would I? This is a good band with lots to offer musically. I hear hints of Pantera, Tool, Dream Theater and even lesser known bands like Dali’s Dilemma and Digital Ruin. The guitars are huge and the solos are quite good. The band is not afraid of going from a crushing riff to a harmonized bridge to an acoustic passage…they also do it well. The vocal arrangements are very good, but (and you knew a “but” was coming) the vocal performances are a little bland. They range from clean melodic passages, sometimes harmonized, to full on Killswitch Engage-like screams (occasionally). They’re in key, and the melodies are good, but the singer could stand to “get up under it”, as I like to say, a little more.

Again, this is a nice slice of Prog Metal from a band that promises to do nothing but get better as they go. Anyone into this style will no doubt find lots to latch onto. So, back to my original question; is it worth your hard earned money and 35 minutes of your time? Yes…yes, it is.

[Visit the band's website]

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