Majesty

Majesty

Just in case you were worried about where the next Anthrax or Megadeth was coming from, just look around the corner. Majesty is just on the horizon.

The band – Mike Portnoy on drums, John Myung on bass, Kevin Moore on keyboards, John Petrucci on guitars and Chris Collins singing lead (who's recently left the band as I understand) – aren't signed to a record label yet. But their six-song tape!

Maybe it isn't fair to typecast a band before they even get a shot at typecasting themselves, but here goes. Yes, they sound like almost every other heavy metal band on Earth. They lean a little too heavily towards Iron Maiden and singer Collins could be Geddy Lee's brother. Now for the good news: Majesty is actually interesting to listen to!

I'm not saying they're ready to knock Led Zeppelin off its throne (pardon the pun, but with some of these bands, who can help it?) but they certainly have enough talent to knock the Crüe off its pedestal (who couldn't?).

After three or four (or 100) listens Majesty doesn't sound as much like Iron Maiden and Rush as originally perceived. Musically, the songs are impeccably executed; every note rings true. With a little more production and slightly better recording facilities (the tape was done on 4-track) the songs could really come alive.

But the question remains: should these guys get a recording contract from a major record company? If Cinderella and Queensrÿche could do it, why not Majesty? If this band is striving to be different and have their music mean something, they've got a long way to go. But if their intent is to party and have a good time, then they've got a future. After all, attitude is everything, isn't it?

—Richard Enphist