http://www.milesbeyond.net & http://www.myspace.com/milesbeyond
Miles Beyond consists of Tim Moody on vocals, Paulo on guitars, “Metal Dennis” Schwan (Shawn Ramsey played bass on this album) and Tod Fisher on drums and were formed in October 2002. The band have shared the stage with acts such as Vince Neil, Iced Earth, WASP and Metal Church. This debut album was actually released in Sept 2004 and later re-released in 2006 with new artwork. The band are currently working on their second full length album.
The first impression from listening from opening track, "Out Of Control", is that the band sound like Iron Maiden taking a more melodic approach. However, this isn't really typical of the rest of the album and on the next track, "Tale Of Old", the band adopt a more full Maiden power metal style. The band's signature tune is a confident proclamation that they are "miles beyond than any other band".
From this point on it is a power metal Maiden inspired romp through the tracks, many of which have historical themes, such as "Vlad the Impaler", "Crazy Horse" and "A Call To Odin". Only on "Rock Revolution" does the traditional metal that is bubbling below the surface of the other tracks, make it to the top.
Although I liked Maiden when they first started, I found myself getting bored with their repetitive material. It is just as well then that Miles Beyond add a little bit of traditional metal into the mainly power metal mixture. The result is a sound that is surprisingly vibrant sounding, despite not breaking any new ground. The album is a good showcase for the band and will appeal to those who like their metal to rush along at breakneck speed.
