“Orchestrate” sees world acclaimed guitarist Michael Harris back with the most ambitious album of his career.  With a style best described as "Neo Orchestral Metal” the album is a modern day masterpiece.  One listen reveals the unique combination of electric guitar playing a very “classical meets metal” style with an orchestra and metal drumming complete with stunning guitar virtuosity.

On the album Michael comments, “My original vision was to go back to my “Defense Mechanizms” roots, yet to focus on one style, neo classical metal. As the record developed, I realized "Orchestral" was a better term, so I consider the record to be my one & only neo-orchestral record. My previous instrumental records have had some “classical meets metal” compositions, but this record is focused exclusively on that style. I recorded all the backing strings, etc on my keyboard, and rather than playing chords, most of the time I treated it like scoring an orchestra, recording one "voice" at a time. There is still plenty of guitar of course, and drummer Matt Thompson did an outstanding job. My focus compositionally was to create strong themes first and foremost, before the musicianship & full arrangements came into play”.

 On the making of the album Michael states, “I recorded all the backing strings, etc on my new Yamaha Motif ES keyboard (because the sounds blew me away) and rather than playing chords, most of the time I treated it like scoring an orchestra, recording one "voice" at a time. Time consuming? Hell yes! So what! There is still plenty of guitar on the record of course, and Matt's drumming just kicked the whole thing in the arse!”

 “My focus compositionally was to create strong themes first and foremost, before the musicianship & full arrangements came into play. I didn't intend on writing around any particular "culture" of music stylistically, but when I listen back, I hear many different styles, even some Russian / Slavic themes. I also wanted to create a record that breathes with a lot of dynamics, also with at least one tempo descelerondo, and some free time tempos”.

 Michael’s classical inspirations include the classical composers include Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Dukas, and Vivaldi. Michael’s more recent favourites include Krzysztof Penderecki and Allan Pettersson, stating, “I’ve found them to have some captivating ideas texturally, but the classical composers I appreciate the most (above) are the ones who composed with the greatest melodic sense”.

REVIEWS:

Michael Harris - Ego Decimation File (Lion Music)

Nearly ten years after the release of the initial recordings of this cd of the same name, Michael Harris is afforded the opportunity to re-release Ego Decimation Profile with the benefit of todays' remastering techniques, and trust me on this, I have the original release and there is a vast difference in the audio quality of this re-issue. Michael restrained from getting carried away with re-recording the instruments on each song, only adding a small, nearly unnoticeable guitar part on one song, otherwise, the performances throughout the cd were maintained from the original, and they are all first rate, he was in the company of some great musicians on this cd, and their performances speak for themselves.

This cd came out during the time where guitar centric recordings were kind of starting to wane a bit, yet his approach was not to write in a manner that would make his soloing skills be the main dish so to speak, but writing songs that would feature each musician in a challenging technical environment, in other words, the music is very progressive with frequent tempo, mood, and abrupt changes. This was as much a progressive metal cd sans vocals as you would find at this time. And Harris's skills as a writer were evident all through this cd, yes he is a masterful player, and there is an abundance of his flavorful and expressive playing on this cd, but it was the attention to detail in the compositions that are what makes this a great cd, this was a pretty unique cd when it was released, keeping in mind that the big name guitarists of the day were releasing formulaic melody driven music that was keying on their soloist abilities.

Here on EDP, Michael Harris proved that instrumental guitar-based music can actually be well rehearsed, complex and intricate, hopefully this reissue will get the folks who missed out on this the first time around another opportunity to hear a younger Michael Harris beginning his mission to create progressive minded music, which serves somewhat as a blueprint as to where his music has taken him today. There is no question that the remix and remaster of this was done in a professional manner, as the drums and certain other aspects are far more in your face, as he states the mix was originally fairly dry, but the sound is a drastic improvement on a cd that I felt from a performance standpoint was excellent, yet the original did seem to lack a full sounding, high quality recorded sound. Suffice it to say, it is not the complete package.
www.proggnosis.com MJ Brady

Michael Harris - Ego Decimation File (Lion Music) By: Joe Florez www.live4metal.com Anyone who is a guitar aficionado, has surely heard of this man. Since 1991, he has served up numerous records from his solo material to Arch Rival. I am quite sure that some of the releases made it onto the Shrapnel label. Despite knowing the name, I never heard his musical style until earlier this year with the band Thought Chamber and I must say that the man’s playing is unique. Well, this disc is actually a re-release from 1996. What Mike did was take the Dave Mustaine route and not just re-master and re-issue it. He gave it the overhaul. The disc is completely remixed to get that extra edge that was missing the first time and new artwork was created for this instrumental. With that said, onto the music. “Forewarning” leads the way with a brief acoustic guitar composition before everyone not only gets plugged in, but livens things up as well. There is a bit of neo-classical action going on thanks to the steel strings. The drums are tight and technical as hell while there is some keyboard action taking place. Mike’s showmanship is outstanding and what makes it stand out is that he doesn’t go over the top by getting all artsy with his talent. I think he is very careful in making sure that he doesn’t get too wild. It seems like he accomplished that because everyone goes apeshit. This is a classy piece that has some epic soundtrack elements included as well. A nice, short and sweet number that could have gone on infinitely, but avoids it successfully. “Vicious Uppercut” gets a wee bit more revved up than the beginning as there is some double bass drumming going on with the uptempo jam. The guitars get a little flashy here, but you can tell that they are called for at the appropriate times. This is high impact and energetic creativity being utilized perfectly without ever bogging you down. “Stratus-Fear” is a combination of progressive metal with a dash of rhythm thanks to the rich bass pluckings that also gives it a jazz ambience. The impressive riffing continues to amaze me as “Julius Seizure” shows Mr. Harris throwing down some jazz licks to this already fired up tune that will keep you awake. Basically, there is plenty of variety on here which keeps you from hitting the skip button like I tend to do on many instrumentals nowadays. Michael has taken great pride in crafting music that is not only accessible to anyone that isn’t a guitar nerd, but making sure that you have fun with it as well. I’m not sure how the original version sounded, but you can hear everything on here nicely. The drums are crisp and precise while the guitars are bright, rich and full of color and the bass is just dynamic. In the end, this was a wise decision on MH part by fixing this one up. I am not sure what his back catalogue is like, but thanks to this release I am now more than interested. Time to investigate. www.lionmusic.com | www.michaelharrisguitar.com

 

 

Harris, Michael: Orchestrate   Michael Harris is one of the most talented guitarists on the planet. Period. However, as any listener of instrumental rock/metal knows, it isn’t just about talent that makes a great album. It’s also about composition. This is where Michael Harris excels and leaves so many guitarists behind. While his compositions may never be compared in quality to that of Bach or Mozart, he certainly excels over most, if not all, other neo-classical guitarists I have come across. To some that might not say much, but Harris does not fall in love with a certain scale that he can sweep pick the fastest, and instead develops songs based on substance. So, if you want a shred-fest then you will want to stay away from this album. While the technicality and speed is there often enough to please those listeners, the search for shredding bliss would only lessen one’s enjoyment of the album. The only disappointing facet to this album is that the orchestral instruments were all digital. Sure they sound pretty good, but there was something missing in them. However, with an understanding of the cost and headaches to get an orchestra to actually learn your material and play it; I have forgiveness in my heart. In fact, if anybody reads Frank Zappa’s autobiography they will understand. Track Listing 1. Opus Conceptus 2. String Theory 3. The Mad Composer’s Rage 4. Notes From The Kursk 5. Battle At Storm’s Edge 6. Guiprice 7. Mysterioso 8. Octavian II 9. The Anti Shred 10. Schizo Forte Added: June 5th 2007 Reviewer: Scott Borre www.seaoftranquility.org Score:

 

Harris, Michael - Orchestrate (8/10) - USA - 2006   Genre: Instrumental Metal Label: Lion Music Playing time: 54:55 Band homepage: -   Tracklist: Opus Conceptus String Theory The Mad Composer’s Rage Notes From The Kursk Battle At Storm’s Edge Guiprice Mysterioso Octavian II The Anti Shred Schizo Forte   Michael Harris is back with another instrumental record, and by the title, one would assume that it would be one of those instrumental NeoClassical releases, claiming to draw influences from guitar players like Yngwie Malmsteen & Jason Becker, as well as Classical composers like Bach & Paganini, and where the resultant music sounds like someone playing the harmonic minor scale at 32nd notes on the guitar, with the rhythm guitar beyond something run-of-the-mill and generic.   Michael Harris does not fall into the two pitfalls of the genre. For one thing, his view on how to mix Classical Music with Progressive Metal differs from most bands’ and musicians’, as he goes above and beyond just using classical scales and melodies within a Metal context. He composed all of the music with an orchestral approach in mind, with multiple counterpoint melodies, classical instruments (violins, etc.) and the nuances that classical music can create, all while still having the intensity of a Metal record.   You can figure out that since “Orchestrate” is an instrumental release, the technical skills of Michael Harris are quite up to par, but it is his compositional skills, his experimentation and tasteful melodies that set him apart from the pack. Other than the heavy orchestral element in the music, there are some traditional Folk influences that seep through in “Guiprice” and in “The Anti-Shred” and the Spanish guitar influence in “Schizo Forte” showcases his further will to go beyond the confinements of the genre he could be lumped into.   Also, Michael Harris does something on this album that I’ve heard few other instrumental guitar players do...He plays the “main” melody of the song, uses that to springboard to a different melody (or another section) and then he returns to the original motif again, in order to solidify it in the context of the whole song.   For a different take on instrumental guitar playing, check this one out. (Online January 15, 2007) www.metal-observer.com

 

 

Artist: Michael Harris Album: Orchestrate (2006) Label: Lion Music Website: http://www.michaelharrisguitar.com Reviewer: Bill Knispel  www.progscape.com   Track List: 01. Opus Conceptus 02. String Theory 03. The Mad Composer’s Rage 04. Notes from the Kursk 05. Battle at Storm’s Edge 06. Guiprice 07. Mysterioso 08. Octavian II 09. The Anti Shred 10. Schizo Forte “Neoclassical” needn’t necessarily be a bad word. While it conjures up images of guitarists or keyboardists playing at speeds nearly inconceivable to the average listener, with huge hair and egos to match, the fact of the matter is that neoclassical music is much like any genre. Within the fairly narrowly defined style, there are musicians who break the mold and push the boundaries back. Michael Harris’s Orchestrate is an excellent example of this. Says Harris: “I didn't intend on writing around any particular "culture" of music stylistically, but when I listen back, I hear many different styles, even some Russian/Slavic themes. I also wanted to create a record that breathes with a lot of dynamics, also with at least one tempo descelerondo, and some free time tempos.” The album meets those goals, offering up a little bit of everything from gentle acoustic pieces through more jaunty bits that keep the energy flowing and the feet tapping. One of the highlights for me is the wonderful acoustic piece, “Guiprice.” If I were to say that it sounds like it were excerpted from the soundtrack of an Ultima video game, it might sound an insult, but the piece is incredibly evocative, baroque in construction, and a piece worthy of inclusion in any classical guitarist’s repertoire. At an all too brief 1:27, it leaves me wanting to hear more. And more appears in “The Anti Shred,” a wittily titled piece with both classical guitar and sustained electric guitar lines over subtle orchestration. It’s humorous to note a musician in this genre poking fun at listener’s preconceptions, and shows Harris willing to add some levity to what can often be an overly serious genre. “The Mad Composer’s Rage” showcases the other side of Harris’s playing. A powerful metal instrumental, Harris’s guitars still fit the music, showing a willingness to offer restraint and subtlety where lesser guitarists might add a few more 300 BMP solos just to show they can. Also of note is the song’s orchestrated keyboards; Harris recorded the keyboards in much the same way individual string parts would be recorded, rather than as layered chords. This adds a richness in sound often lacking in this style. Listeners afraid to check out the neoclassical scene for fear of out of control shredding should check out Michael Harris’s Orchestrate. It’s a welcome breath of fresh air, and should place Harris in the upper echelon of neoclassical guitarists. Michael Harris - Electric, acoustic, synth, nylon string, bass guitars and keyboards. Matt Thompson – Drums

 

Orchestrate Harris, Michael

RECORDING INFORMATION Lion Music (LMC191) Composed, Mixed & Produced by Michael Harris. Mastered by Gary Long.   COMMENTS & REVIEWS MJBrady www.proggnosis.com Published on: 18 Nov 2006 Of all the modern day electric guitar virtuoso players, few are going beyond the seemingly limited scope of innovation, and the saturation of players that are far too similar has blurred the genre into a virtual stagnant scene altogether. Do Not include Michael Harris in that company, he along with a handful of other musicians that happen to play the guitar, have managed to keep a fresh and exciting perspective on using the guitar in very inventive settings. His latest offering simply called "Orchestrate" shows a new take on classical music meeting progressive metal. Sure we have heard this all before, with the deluge of neo-classical Yngwie clones for the last couple decades. But here Michael, who posesses both compositional savvy as well as skillful playing, takes a different approach for creating his musical backdrop. He painstakingly orchestrates a symphonic sound by using a Yamaha Motif ES keyboard, scoring an orchestra, recording one "voice" at a time. As you may guess, this cd has a huge symphonic sound, so this is not your typical neo-classic recording, but one that will appeal to a far greater audience that can appreciate the nuances and moods of classical music as well as the intensity that Michael has injected into his previous releases. So this is a cd that takes on the challenge of being different, one that attempts to marry the organic beauty of the classical traditional sound with the sheer power and technical abilities of todays modern virtuoso musicians, this being Michael Harris, who proves that he is not merely a great guitar talent. For what I hear on this recording, the guitar takes a second seat to the orchestrations, in other words, the full compliment of orchestrated arrangements are the main thematic setting, and the guitars and drums, which are actually being performed, accentuate the movements whether through solos, or creative interactive play. Again, I am impressed by another Michael Harris release, he will always remain one guitarist that will captivate my attention for the fact that he reinvents his music almost everytime I hear a new release from him. His playing is always at the top of the heap, yet it is his musical imagination that sets him apart from the rest. Not since Victor Smolski's - Majesty & Passion J.S. Bach (2004) have I heard a neo-classical guitar cd as good.

 

Band: Michael Harris Title: Orchestrate Label:  Lion Music
Neo Orchestral Metal, or Neo Classical Metal, is one of the most ambitious genre’s to enter into as the array of fine guitarists throughout the world doing this type of album is on the definite increase.  One of those high on the A-list of guitarists is one Michael Harris. Michael plays all instruments on this album except the drums.  This particular forte is left to Matt Thompson, who I must say does a sterling job. The album borrows influences from some of the best known classical composers including the likes of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and the like.  But also takes something from some names that are not so familiar, with Krzysztof Pendereki and Allan Petterson the names that Harris himself has named as inspirations because of their captivating ideas. The album itself opens up with ‘Opus Conceptus’ and from the off the sheer brilliance and ostentatious feel of the album is there for all to hear, with its haunting keyboards and quite outrageous guitars, this opens the gates for a flood of idiosyncrasies and subtle mood swings, outlandish yet spellbinding riffs that fill this album. The album takes a definite heavier feel with ‘String Theory’, another track jam-packed with some almost impossible guitar riffs and the added strings and Thompson’s thunderous drums make this one of the outstanding pieces on the album. As you're just getting into the album and strangely thinking of subscribing to Classic FM, the album twists the knife a little harder with the quite outrageous ‘The Mad Composers Rage’.  Think ‘Enter Sandman’ meets ‘Flight of The Bumble Bee’ and you won't be far wrong. After the last track things take a more sedate feel whilst still retaining that all out classical metal assault, with another great track ‘Notes From The Kursk’, with its almost Eastern Block spy thriller feel.  This one will have you rocking all the way to the Kremlin. But track, no musical piece on the album for me has to be the quite extraordinary ‘Battle at Storm’s Edge’, with Harris pulling out all the stops on this one and Thompson laying down the supporting artillery fire.  This one just oozes class. The swings from the sublime to the quite outrageous continue as things slow down considerably with the next track the genteel soundings ‘Guiprice’ and continue with ‘Mysterioso’, two tracks that gently sway by the ear drums and enter the very nerve ending of your soul, quite superb! The album enters the more traditional metal zone with ‘Octavian II’, a real shredders delight as Harris lets rip once again, before we enter the other end of the spectrum with the heavy cello and strings and Spanish guitars of ‘The Anti Shred’. This quite superb album comes to a close with another shredders delight this time the with the rampaging guitar fest that is ‘Schozo Forte’, which brings to a close one of the most entertaining albums of the Neo Classical/Orchestral genre I’ve heard this year and although Harris himself has said that this will be his one and only Neo Orchestral record, I’m sure he can be persuaded to once more venture into this quite awe-inspiring genre one more time.
Tracklisting: 1. Opus Conceptus 2. String Theory 3. The Mad Composer's Rage 4. Notes From The Kursk 5. Battle At Storm's Edge 6. Guiprice 7. Mysterioso 8. Octavian II 9. The Anti Shred 10. Schizo Forte	www.themayfairmallzine.com

 

Michael Harris - Orchestrate (Lion Music) By: Joe Florez    www.live4metal.com
	Once again the owner Lars Mattsson, owner of this very label has signed on another guitar instrumental performing neo-classical or in this case orchestrated music. I have only known of this individual from way back when, but never divulged into any of his discs. Well, since I have the thing I thought I would dump it into my player for a few moments and hear what is on the menu. You know, just give myself a taste before really soaking my ears in this. Upon skimming all ten tracks, I knew exactly what was being offered; heavily neo, I mean classically orchestrated music in the vein of old Yngwie material. Sounded good, but I’ve heard it all before. I have to admit that I was impressed with the lead off track “Opus
Conceptus.” The Intro was an acoustic guitar playing neo-classical at a fast, by classy and difficult state. The electric axe soon enough gets plugged in and slowly Mike shows off his talents. The compositions includes a haunting atmosphere and some string arrangements and by the tail end of this, the drums and everything else are kicked into high gear. I have never really ever heard a song composed like this. It’s predictable to a slight degree, but then again I wasn’t ready for this. “String Theory” is way more metallic and metal sounding than the opener. It’s much livelier and energetic. The guitars get a little bit more wild and despite being a talented artist, Mr. Harris never gets full of himself and go over the top. Everything is in control and performed with class. It seems like with each track the momentum just builds. “The Mad Composer’s Rage” proves to be just that as the fret board work is a lot faster and more intense. Drums are being slammed and the overall song is more complex, yet is full of entertainment. Truth be told, I wasn’t actually prepared for anything like this. My first listen or skim through this product was all wrong. I was thoroughly impressed by what was being served on this silver platter. When you first read about this, sure it sounds like a carbon copy of recycled Malmsteen riffs, licks and compositions, but when you get your hands filthy with this thing you will find out first hand just how unique and satisfying this can actually be. Guitar hero wannabe’s take note. www.lionmusic.com | www.michaelharrisguitar.com

 

on Thursday 09 November 2006 by bato www.metal-revolution.com author awarded score: 82/100     Lion Music, 2006   Orchestrate is sixth album from world acclaimed guitarist Michael Harris. The style of the album can best be described as neo orchestral metal with unique combination of electric guitar playing and a very classical meets metal style. Sometimes I get the feeling that they’ve been inspired by music from my area, area of Balkan and South Europe?! It is esp. the drumming of Matt Thompson that is so outstanding on this instrumental album. It is also obvious that Michael drove inspirations mostly from some non-metal acts such as composers Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi etc. But don’t misunderstand it; there are sure some other influences to be heard as well; Rush, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Yes, King’s X, Blackmore, Satriani etc. The sound throughout the whole cd is immense, almost epic. Production is also at the very high level, so no complains in that direction. Even though I am not usually a fan of guitar instrumentals, I must admit that this cd was quite good. So if you’re into some instrumental music driven by guitar virtuosity this is the release you must have in your collection. For any further info please visit: www.lionmusi.com/orchestrate.htm or www.michaelharrisguitar.com

Michael Harris - Orchestrate

Lion Music

Rating - 7.5/10

Review Simon Bray www.hardrockhouse.com

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I may have noted before that I am not a huge fan of guitar instrumentals per se and as a rule wouldn’t pay hard earned cash for them. However, I have to say that I am beginning to be a bit of a fan of Lion Music’s roster of guitar virtuosos. What I like about these artists on this independent Finnish label is that they are much less up their own arse than many of their better known contemporaries. That’s not to say that much fun can’t be had by reading their press releases or by visiting their websites. Apparently this CD fits snugly into the Neo Orchestral Metal genre which is a new one on me.  Indeed Michael Harris tells us, “My focus compositionally was to create strong themes first and foremost, before the musicianship & full arrangements came into play. I didn't intend on writing around any particular "culture" of music stylistically, but when I listen back, I hear many different styles, even some Russian / Slavic themes. I also wanted to create a record that breathes with a lot of dynamics, also with at least one tempo descelerondo, and some free time tempos”.   He goes on to say that his, “classical inspirations include the classical composers include Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Dukas, and Vivaldi. Michael’s more recent favourites include Krzysztof Penderecki and Allan Pettersson, stating, “I’ve found them to have some captivating ideas texturally, but the classical composers I appreciate the most (above) are the ones who composed with the greatest melodic sense”.  OK, super.   Music wise this CD has surprisingly good production values. The sound is immense, almost epic in scale as indeed are the songs which in places wouldn’t sound out of place on a Rhapsody (of Fire) CD. As with almost all instrumental albums the listener is left to his/her own devices when working out what the songs actually mean. For instance, whilst I do like track four, 'Notes from the Kursk', I don’t know what it’s actually trying to communicate to me. Is it the horror of impending death, the hope of rescue or what? What I do know though is that it’s a fine piece of music whatever the inspiration.  This can be applied to the entire album. The playing, whilst excellent, is only rarely self indulgent and certainly stands a chance of repeated plays. It’s the kind of album I’d play on a Sunday morning whilst leafing through the papers (if I had the luxury of that kind of free time) or generally have on as I potter around the house.  Chalk up another winner for those boys and girls at Lion Music.

Track List Opus Conceptus String Theory The Mad Composer’s Rage Notes from the Kursk Battle at Storm’s Edge Guiprice Mysterioso Octavian II The Anti Shred Schizo Forte Line Up Michael Harris - Guitars/Bass/Keys Matt Thompson – Drums

 

Michael Harris “Words Collide” (2003) Lion Music (8,5/10)
by Thiago Pinto Correa Sarkis

Styles collide in a totally frenzied mind. Michael Harris goes insane in this fantastic release. In the booklet of the album he says that this was “probably the most consuming and difficult” recording he ever completed. And all I can say to him is to breath freely. He did it in such a great way and his various performances reviewing the guitar importance in many styles are really outstanding. This reminds me so much of Steve Morse, because of the faculty and know-how of playing in so many different ways and perspectives and being successful in all of them. There is jazz from Frank Sinatra to Allan Holdsworth. Oriental music. Neo-classical, tech metal, acoustic songs, and much more. Everything composed and played by Harris himself, except for the drums by Brian Harris (Firewind – Zanister). What those songs have in common? They’re guitar driven and tell us the history of guitar and how important this instrument is and how varied and large it is when well played. Most of the songs are under a hard rock and metal label, but Michael is always expanding the boundaries of those styles. Underrated guitar player that deserves much, much, much more than he has! Listen with attention and an open mind.

 

 

Michael Harris - Worlds Collide (8/10) - USA - 2003

Genre: Hard Rock Label: IMF Playing time: 62:04 Band-Homepage: Michael Harris Tracklist: Shockesetra Wash My Soul Away Mask Of Deception Myopia Worlds Collide Tears Roll Down Mr. Strange Prosthetic Brain Into The Spiral Rain Mandy Slang Incarcerated The Cosmic Desert Battle Fatigue This album is an absolute gem. Stuck somewhere between the Prog ramblings of DREAM THEATER, the precision technicality of QUEENSRYCHE, the guitar inspiration of Satriani and when the occasion requires it some very fine Heavy Metal riffing Michael Harris offers, on his first release, a tantalising and very professional debut (Sorry to have to interject here, but he's got a bunch of albums out already! - Alex). Fusing Metal, Hard Rock, Classical interludes and some funky Jazz inspired passages "Worlds Collide" is a more than apt title. For indeed many different musical worlds do collide throughout the album. The title track alone revels in a hard-hitting Metal riff, strong melodic chorus and fused with a jazzed up Satriani middle passage. A strange cocktail but instantly likeable. Tracks like the heady "Wash My Soul Away" and "Mask Of Deception" and "Tears Roll Down" ooze quality and showmanship. Sometimes Progressive at other times raising the ante into some very fine Heavy Metal. Harris is obviously an intuitive guitar player and song writer but he lets both sit comfortably with the other and none is allowed to steal the limelight and push the other overboard. And not content to write, produce and play all instruments bar the drums Harris's voice is reminiscent of DREAM THEATER's James La Brie and GREAT WHITE's Jack Russell this is none more obvious in the acoustic ramblings of "Myopia" and "Mandy Slang" whilst the catchy "Mr Strange" is a potentially huge hit single. "Worlds Collide" is a professional and polished release that is really worth the effort. (Online December 30, 2003) Review by www.metal-observer.com Chris

MICHAEL HARRIS - "WORLDS COLLIDE" LION MUSIC (2003)

To be honest with you i've never even heard of Michael Harris before I received his new CD "Worlds Collide" and that made me happy - not only because i was about to discover a new artist (which is always a good thing) but also because it would be much easier for me to be objective with my review. Michael grew up in a musical environment, being the son of two master musicians. His father introduced him to the magical world of Jazz and his mother was in charge of his education in Classical Music. Both of those influences can easily be traced throughout his career. I knew that Michael had previously released four instrumental albums and that "Worlds Collide" would introduce him, for the first time, as a singer . And as if that wasn't enough, he didn't ask any musicians to participate in his new project but he decided to play all the main instruments (Guitars, Bass and synthesizers) except for the drums, a position which was successfully filled by his brother, Brian Harris. He also made the production of the album (if that's not impressive, then i don't know what is). I think that he made a wise choice since "Worlds Collide" proved to
be an album full of great melodies and high energy. He is obviously not the best singer around, but he is an artist who knows hia limitations and delivers passion with his music.
After a short intro called "Shockestra" comes a really good song called "Wash My Soul Away" which will remind you allot of Dream Theater. The choice of sounds and melodies will impress you al lot and definitely give you an idea of what's to follow. "Mask Of Deception" begin with an impressive hard rock solo and continues with a well-composed riff. By that stage i knew that "Worlds Collide" will be flirting with my CD player for a long time. A nice classic guitar theme will introduce you to "Myopia", a very interesting song indeed. Then it's time for one of my favourite progressive songs of the album, the same titled "Worlds Collide", a song with a great refrain which i plan on singing for a long, long time.I really loved the guitar and vocal work on "Tears Roll Down". Things will slow down with "Mr.Strange" a song based in acoustic guitars, only until the very first notes of "Prosthetic Brain". The complexity in the melodies of this song reminded me of Mekong Delta, one of the best progressive bands in the world (i will not be amazed if i was to find out that Michael is a big fan of their music). There are also moments of more mainstream accessibility such as "Into The Spiral Rain". If you think that you heard everything by now, "Mandy Slang" will prove you wrong. "Incarcerated" is another fast and heavy song, but if there is one song that i liked the most from this album that's "The Cozmic Desert", a song which released all of Michael's talent - well done. The last song of the ordinary release, "Battle Fatigue, is a nine minute tribute to progressive and melodic hard rock music, and the best way to finish a successful album. This CD contains a bonus track called "Coffee With Mozart" a song once again based on acoustic guitars.

If you like commercial music you'd better forget about this album. If on the other hand you can appreciate quality music regardless of your music preferences, this album is for you.
John Stefanis
Rating:****

Nicky Baldrian