Stars of Never Seen

Crescent Shield: Dan DeLucie (guitar, guitars).
Personnel: Michael Grant (vocals); Melanie Sisneros (bass guitar); Craig Anderson (drums).
Audio Mixers: Dan DeLucie; Bill Metoyer.
Audio Remasterer: Bill Metoyer.
Recording information: Keep It True Festival, Germany.
Just as it was with their debut, 2006's The Last of My Kind, Crescent Shield's sophomore adventure, 2009's The Stars of Never Seen, is the sort of album that forces listeners partial to its conceptual brand of fantasy-cum-science-fiction-laced, vintage heavy metal, to look themselves in the mirror and admit, "Yes, I am a colossal nerd!" Perhaps not quite on a level with Trekkie or even Medieval conventions (certainly not Civil War reenactments -- talk about weird!), but the bottom line is, like any cult, willing participants tend to be as selective in number as they are passionate. In other words, don't expect to see Crescent Shield's name in lights anytime soon (the average music consumer will probably never know they exist), but rest assured in their continued allegiance to `80s-flavored underground American metal, and representative bands ranging from ancient purveyors like Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, and Fates Warning, to contemporary classicists such as Slough Feg and Icarus Witch. One need only dive into melodic guitar feasts like "Under Cover of Shadows," "Tides of Fire," and "Lifespan" for proof, and there are even more goodies awaiting musical Easter egg hunters in cuts like "The Grand Horizon" and the suitably named epic, "The Endurance," which bring to mind pre-fame Queensrÿche (circa The Warning) or even Sanctuary, minus the shrill vocals. Speaking of which, Crescent Shield's Michael Grant poses an intriguing dilemma, as his vocal chops appear to be top-notch 95-percent of the time, only to fall short of full power just often enough for listeners to brand him either inconsistent or poorly recorded -- the latter being entirely possible, of course. The good news is that this winds up shifting the spotlight's glare toward guitarist Daniel DeLucie, who in no way disappoints with his incredible arsenal of licks, riffs, and melodies, splayed generously to all songs and sundry. In sum, The Stars of Never Seen's few weak links may in fact be part of the authentic vibe that Crescent Shield so desperately long to convey, and if that's the case, they've executed their mission to imperfect perfection. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia