Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Beyond the so called sphere of influence into which the traditional hotbed of Metal in all its guises and subgenres fall, people still don’t look too closely at the words or impact made in other countries around the globe. It is perhaps a sense of blasphemy to those who see the realms of the Nordic and Germanic passion, the British and American homelands, as having something of a divine right to put Metal forward and hope that the rest of the globe just sits back and nods their head with ever forceful agreement.
It is perhaps that we have become hostages of our own sentiments when it comes to certain genres, the curse of never shifting, not wanting to explore far from the feeling of comfortable protection in what we know that our hearts love and the mind desires. It is in that allusion to being a Prisoner of Emotions that in the infiltration of a wooden horse offering to the faithful across the metal speaking globe, comes Greece’s Julian’s Lullaby and their latest album which takes on the role of the beautiful and passionate hero ready to take on the factors of disillusionment and apathy in Prisoner of Emotions.
The subtle blend of the neo classical, symphonic and acoustic-folk rock doesn’t just spring a surprise to which many hard core fans of the genre will not see coming, the depth of feeling, the passion and the sense of rightful dignity that Anna Lullaby brings to the fore with her rich feminine vocals and aided incredibly by the musical expertise of George Saddler, Chris Kambitis and Elias Negrin.
There are many bands that have this structure, but to hear it in the unexpected and unfolding emergence of metal outside of its traditional homes, is to know that it is not the ungenerous nature of homogonous melting pot but of acceptance and celebration, that the dignity of positive cool will always win through.
In tracks such as Curse of Gods, Death Angel, Eyes of Grey, the album title track of Prisoner of Emotions and Hell’s Door, the band, and their session musicians and additional lyric writer of Antre Paras, Argyris Parakevas and Anna Spanogiorgou, come pouring out of the wooden horse bought into the gates of the homelands and swarm out, not in violent retribution, but armed with good will and a barrage full of classic symphonic tracks that meet the unresolved head on and give them a treat of epic proportions.
Nobody should be a prisoner to their emotions, but if they are then the only thing to do is coax them out bit by bit into the world, failing that pull them along and let the new wave show them what they are missing.
Ian D. Hall