Redemption – I Am the Storm
Release Date: 17th March 2023
Label: AFM Records
Pre-Order
Genre: Progressive Metal, Heavy Metal.
FFO: Dream Theater, Shadow Gallery, Vanden Plas, Haken.
Review By: Eric Wilt
Redemption has been one of the most consistent bands in the world of progressive metal for the last two decades. In that time, the band, which currently consists of guitarist Nick van Dyk, singer Tom S. Englund, drummer Chris Quirarte, bassist Sean Andrews, keyboardist Vikram Shankar, and second guitarist Simone Mularoni, has released seven albums, each one steeped in heavy shredding metal goodness.
One thing that Redemption has always done well is mix seriously heavy metal into their progressive music. The title song is a perfect example of how they do this. The song gets your head banging right out of the gate with a riff that would be at home in a melodic death metal track. Then before they’ve even made it to the first chorus, they’ve already thrown in guitar and keyboard solos. At about the 2:50 mark, the guitar and keyboard returns for some more shredding and even duel for a few seconds, all the while they are pummeling you with the heaviness they introduced at the beginning of the song. Seven Minutes from Sunset is everything you’ve ever loved about Redemption in one sub-five-minute song. You have the heavy riffs, the shredding, and the tension that Redemption does better than anyone. Whether it’s Ray Alder singing or Englund, Redemption has always had a knack for turning the screws on the listener to up the unease that the music conveys.
Remember the Dawn is another standout track that, at over eight minutes, is a mini-epic of emotion and incredible technical musicianship. The Emotional Depiction of Light begins with just Englund’s voice and keyboards. The aching in Englund’s vocals is mirrored in the music, which eventually makes its way to melodic power ballad territory. The big chorus in this song belongs on heavy metal radio, if anything, Redemption’s repertoire does. Resilience returns the band to their heavy roots and, like Seven Minutes from Sunset, is a progressive metal masterclass in under five minutes. Action at a Distance and All this Time (And Not Enough) are both twelve-plus-minute epics that are what Redemption does best. From the motifs that are introduced in the beginning of the songs to the power of the verses, Redemption is most effective when they are able to open up a song and let their creativity flow.
The addition of two cover songs, Turn it On Again originally by Genesis and Red Rain originally by Peter Gabriel, is not unprecedented—they did release a bonus disc of covers with This Mortal Coil—but is a bit surprising to me considering the power of the originals on the album. Nonetheless, both songs are a welcome surprise. Turn it On Again does force Englund a little out of his comfort zone with a couple high notes, but Redemption makes both songs their own and show fans what Genesis would’ve sounded like as a metal band (they don’t give Red Rain quite as much of a metal treatment as they give Turn it On Again).
Overall, I Am the Storm is another amazing album from a band that only makes amazing albums. If you are a fan of progressive metal or even just heavy metal, Redemption’s new album is going to make you very happy. 
(4.5 / 5)
