Strong Vocals Meet Excellent Musicianship and Inspired Lyrics - A Review of Hamada Mari's Soar

Hamada Mari is a legend in Japan who celebrates the fortieth anniversary of her career this year. Rightfully known as the Queen of Metal who easily eclipses similar artists like Doro Pesch, she has now released an impressive twenty-seventh studio album in her career. In her personal life, she is a rather calm person with a low profile and philosophical interests as the lyrics on this album express her belief that thought and will can transcend a person's lifetime. Despite such an intellectual approach to the new record, Hamada Mari has gathered some of the greatest national and international metal musicians around her on this record. Examples include but are not limited to heavy metal guitarist Takasaki Akira of Loudness fame, guitarist Michael Romeo from American progressive metal legends Symphony X, Chris Broderick who is currently playing in melodic death metal band In Flames, bassist Philip Bynoe of Christian power metal group Warlord, German drummer Marco Minnemann who is regularly collaborating with progressive rock mastermind Steven Wilson, Sons of Apollo keyboarder Derek Sherinian, Canadian violinist Lili Haydn who was once involved in experimental progressive metal group Civil Defiance and Japanese violinist Hoshiono Saori who has recently been joining symphonic power metal band Liv Moon. As you can see, the guest list for this record reads like a who's who of metal's most skilled musicians from all around the world.

Gladly, the record lives up to expectations and even goes down as one of the greatest releases in Hamada Mari's astonishing career. Fillers and stinkers there are none. Instead, several highlights that grow with every spin can be found on this organically produced album that showcases the singer's versatile skills in eleven songs with a total running time of sixty-two minutes.

Opener and first single ''Tomorrow Never Dies'' is a ferocious progressive metal anthem with energetic, fast and versatile drum play, dominant bumblebee bass guitar sounds, enthusiastic melodic guitar solos as well as elaborate and elegant keyboard layers. This song blows any recent song by genre veterans like Dream Theater out of the water and makes listeners want to push the repeat button right away. Perhaps this tune should be nominated for a Grammy Award next year.

While the aforementioned song stands out as this record's shining highlight, there are quite a few others tunes that deserve attention, recognition and respect. Elegant, playful and symphonic ''Noblesse Oblige'' is an epic power metal tune that serves as dramatic backdrop for Hamada Mari's soaring vocals that hit all the high notes with confidence, ease and flow. This astonishing woman who is now sixty years old sounds as if she were at least two decades younger on this timeless anthem.

''Dancing with Heartache'' might read like a fluffy ballad upon first contact but is perhaps this record's most diversified, playful and versatile tune that surprises with many different ideas that are coherently kept together by fluid expert songwriting and Hamada Mari's comforting, soothing and warm vocals that balance the heavy musicianship splendidly.

Speaking of ballads however, album closer ''Last Leaf'' might classify as such with emotional orchestrations and powerful vocals that will send shivers down the spine. While such a song might sound predictable or tame if performed by a weak, ordinary or even good vocalist, Hamada Mari outclasses herself, delivers one of the greatest performances of her career and manages to end a strong album on a high note.

Saor is however not without its flaws. ''Escape from Freedom'' and ''Diagram'' for instance experiment with modern vocal effects that don't do Hamada Mari's unique voice any justice and make for a somewhat artificial, directionless and overambitious result. We can describe those songs as missed experiments.

At the end of the day however, Hamada Mari's Soar is one of the greatest efforts in the singer's incredible career of forty years and counting. Anyone who likes to listen to talented female vocalists should definitely give this album a few spins. Other than that, Hamada Mari's Soar should particularly appeal to fans of heavy metal, power metal and progressive metal. The musicianship is excellent, the vocals are extraordinary, the lyrics have depth and the production overall blends in organically. While not quite being album of the year material, Hamada Mari's Soar certainly deserves acclaim, attention and respect from all around the world.

Final Rating: 90%