CD REVIEW: LIES OF SMILES – Dreams Of The Machinoix

Label: Independent

Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewed by: Robert Kitay

I first became aware of Lies of Smiles after being blown away by their previous album “Cross and Claw.” The UK’s Lies of Smiles plays kind of a throwback hard rock/heavy metal style reminiscent of Rainbow, Tony Martin era Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, etc, and they do it very well.  Obviously Blue Oyster Cult is a major influence, and you can see the BOC symbol hidden in the design of the band’s name on the album cover of “Smiles of the Machinoix.”  Quite frankly, I wish a lot more bands played this style of hard rock/metal these days.  This album is guitar driven with monster riffs, great solos and solid musicianship throughout, with a slightly bluesy feel.  I’m an absolute sucker for heavy melodic music like this. Tony Thurlow’s vocals have a rich tone that few singers possess, somewhat reminiscent of Jorn Lande, Tony Martin and even Ronnie James Dio.

“Smiles of the Machinoix” is solid start to finish, and a really enjoyable listen.  The only thing missing is a mind blowing track that begs you to hit the repeat button over and over, whereas their previous album “Cross and Claw” had two such tracks.  Still, “Smiles of the Machinoix” has no weak tracks and is probably stronger top to bottom than their previous effort.  In fact, my favorite track on the album is the last, “Ascension,” which is particularly dark and the tastiest guitar work on the album.

I highly recommend this album. Unfortunately, it was not released by a major label, so you’ll need to pick it up directly from the band from their website.

Tracklisting: Dreams of the Machinoix – Jerusalem Man – Cast the First Stone – All Fall Down – Dreamcatcher – She Wears a Mask – God and Honour – Ezekiel’s Wheel – Ascension

LIES OF SMILES LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

Category: CD Reviews