Back in 1996, during my comic book years, there was an advertisement for an upcoming album for a group called Iced Earth. I had never heard of them, yet I was greatly anticipating this album called The Dark Saga. Why? Because it was a concept album based on one of my favorite comics, Spawn. This was my first introduction to a man named Matthew Barlow, and while it would take me until the band's next release to truly appreciate (and come to love) the group, I loved Barlow's voice. He has become one of my all time favorite metal singers. Why do I mention this? The answer is simple, this album from Pyramaze, their third, features the mighty Matt Barlow on vocals. Let me tell you, he sounds great.

Barlow's journey to joining Pyramaze is an interesting one. He was the longtime singer for Iced Earth, but was a deeply changed man following the tragedy of 9/11. He left Iced Earth to become a police officer. While in his new position, he was lured back to the scene as the singer for Pyramaze, a Danish act. The group's schedule was light enough that he would be able to fulfill those duties while retaining his job on the force. However, in late 2007 he made the decision to return to metal full time, reuniting with Iced Earth. Before making a complete return, he remained with Pyramaze to complete the recording of Immortal.

Now, honestly, have you ever heard of Pyramaze? Me neither. This points to just what kind of impact Barlow's presence has had for the band. His tenure may have been short, but his involvement with them and his performance on Immortal has opened up all sorts of new avenues for the band. Well, it will at least make them known by more people. This can also be seen as something of a detriment. Why? Because many people who have, are, and will be writing about them will likely spend a lot of time on Barlow (ahem), while the rest of the band is relegated to back up status. Hopefully, this will only be a temporary situation, as Pyramaze is a musically solid progressive power metal act. In short, these guys can play.