CD Info

2009

 Wild Recordz

11 Tracks

 English Lyrics

Everyone gets where they’re going by traveling down a different path. I got into female metal after being influenced by a variety of artists, pretty much like anyone else. And one of those artists was Pamela Moore. It was the music / video of Queensryche’s "Operation Mindcrime", and specifically Suite Sister Mary that fascinated me for well over a decade. I own the CD, the videotape, the DVD, everything I could get my hands on. Still listen to it today. The voice, the presentation, there’s little to compare to it as far as I’m concerned. That being the case, the CD under review here has to be an attraction, it features the same Pamela Moore, and with a supporting cast equally as illustrious.

I’m assuming the title, Eurameric is a combination of Europe and America, the artists represent both continents. They also represent a wealth of musical talent. Moore, of course, is from the Seattle based American progressive band Queensryche where she worked for years with Geoff Tate. Fellow vocalist Ralf Scheepers is recognized from his work with Primal Fear. Guitars are handled by Alex De Rosso (Dokken), Fabrizio Grossi, who also did the mixing (Starbreaker), Rob De Luca (Sebastian Bach), and Tim Harris (Malicious), keys by Eric Ragno (China Blue) and drums by Zane Peterson, who also did the production for this effort. Other artists also contribute on individual songs. But the bottom line is, this is an all star cast of American and European musicians. Not a weak component on the list.

The music is described as a blend of 80s – 90s power rock. And, it is that. This isn’t the more traditional gothic we tend to encounter on this site, it is pure power rock, heavy riffs by the guitars, hard stick work and the power metal vocals of some of the best in the business. The project took several years of hard work to complete, from song writing to the recording, which required numerous cross Atlantic flights, to the final mixing.

There is a feel of the "MindCrime" to the production. That feel begins with the first track, Ms. Euremeric. We hear footsteps and then a phone rings, just like "MindCrime". However, the answer to this phone call is a crushing riff from the De Rosso guitar that takes us to the wailing Pamela Moore vocals. And no one does it like Moore does it. This is one of the finest voices in metal, no matter who she’s working with. The track here is Blinded By the Rain and it pretty much establishes what we are in for. The bass is crunching, the guitars are screaming like a typhoon in the South China Sea. And Moore’s vocals are overlaid which just makes the sound all the more enjoyable.

The lead guitar is altered from one song to the next. They fall to Rob De Luca on Where Are You Running and the result is an 80s like hard metal crush that sounds like the muscled musicians from Dokken, but with a sultry female voice carrying the vocal lead. Moore’s vocals vary from song to song as well. She can scream with the best of them but this song takes us to a Heart vocal style. She is equally at home with that sound, especially with the sweeping guitar background on this track. And that guitar is as good as anything we heard from the hair bands back in the day.

That Heart sound is heard again on Light a Candle. This song features the keyboards a little more and Moore shows us the softer side of life. But the hooks are there, with a subdued guitar line that plays against the keys. However, it’s the vocals that steal the show. Moore shows us a range of technique on this lovely number, the very soft to a lovely overlaid component, to an almost gospel sound, again with an 80s perspective to all of it.

Certainly one of the high lights of the work is the duet between the male and female vocals. Feel Alive is one of these. Moore works with Scheepers here and the two perform to perfection. Moore knows how to work with a male vocalist, her work with Tate on Queensryche being pretty much legendary. She is no less effective with Scheepers on this ballad. The background is somewhat muted, with the exception of a strong guitar line in the bridge, in the strong tradition of all 80s metal. Scheepers also sings on Celebrate. This one is possibly the most traditional 80s sound, the guitars take the lead and maintain the drive while the drums track through in the style of that time. It may sound a little dated, but it sure seems done right. At least as far as I can remember. Those memories, for me, are more than a little in shambles having been infected by any number of substances of questionable legality. But I digress.

The Queensryche sound appears on several of the tracks here, and that’s certainly not a bad thing. Woman in Love carries with it the hard guitar approach that made Queensryche famous, and with a female vocal that does a credible Geoff Tate impersonation. Sent From Heaven is another that carries this signature sound. The guitars charge forward to open the track, with Moore leading the vocals into a hard rocker’s delight. She sings:

The obvious difference between this music and the music of the 80s, and especially Queensryche, is the inclusion of the keyboards, which have a place in this number. They’re not heavily pronounced but they do add a more contemporary tone to the music.

Solna is a different sound from the female fronted music most often encountered on this site. The lyrics are far less dark, the direction of the music more traditional rock and less contemporary, especially when compared to the orchestrated sound backed up by choirs and formal operatic vocalists we often find here. However, given the sound it represents, it is truly outstanding work: the musicianship, the technical work, and, most importantly, the truly phenomenal voice of Pamela Moore. That voice transcends time and style, and makes Eurameric a must listen, no matter what your age or preference. Give it a listen.

9 / 10

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