HUMAN CODE: Break The Silence

Human Code
Break the Silence

Speaking of codes, George Ochoa and Mike Drive have seemingly broken the musical code for power
metal. All those things you love about Rainbow’s Long Live Rock and Roll album (“The Gates of Babylon,”
“Lady of the Lake”), Iron Maiden (“Hallowed be Thy Name,” “Powerslave”), the dreamy yet powerful
oomph! of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” with its slow, dark, heavy and almost modal Eastern influenced
sound that conjures a million Hebrews constructing the pyramids of Egypt – all those things are present
and thriving on this excellent album.

Take the melodic parts you liked from the Barren Cross catalog and the hook from the Recon tune
“Dreams” and it makes sense that these two guys would work well together. The adroitly blended
keyboards flow like added emotion to the power. Fans of more modern masters like Blind Guardian,
Dream Theater, Nightwish or Symphony X (minus the noodling) will stop in their tracks at the sounds of
these tunes. It’s both arresting and extremely satisfying.

And don’t forget the hooks. I’m told that Dino Elefante worked his production magic on these tunes. The
sonic bliss found herein is all the proof one needs. The hooks are what keep your finger poised over the
repeat button. They draw your ears back in like the mafia does its retirees.

When it comes to a voice, some soar above the rest. I don’t want to give Mike Drive a big head, but he
owns a signature tone that caresses the dopamine-injecting parts of the brain while having the solid
muscle to shove and push at will. He sounds fully on and fully engaged – like a professional athlete in
tip-top shape.

Now let’s talk about some of these songs.

The title track comes screaming out of the speakers – a high energy rocker that sets the tone for what Human Code can do. It’s like some fun yet serious teasing to forecast what’s to come.

“Say What You Mean” has a cool hook and turn of words. It opens with a siren and a smooth bass line. With all the talk about “super group” based on the band members’ previous outfits, now’s a good time to bring up the solid and beefy bass lines of Todd Libby, who also lays down some killer keyboards that really serve the songs well. The chorus of this song has such a deep and heavy hook. I think by this soon into the album we (if you’re like me) are in love. This song is really good and another pristine example of such a great audio mix. They say this album brought Dino Elefante out of retirement and it’s easy to hear why.

“Rain” starts off with some sweeping and beautiful piano playing and the uber smooth balladry vocals of Michael Drive. He takes center stage here and just commands attention with a beautiful performance.

Like its title might imply, “Genetic Dysfunction” sounds a little aggressive. It’s one of the first glimpses of this power metal sound that’s so enticing and, dare we way, epic.

“Don’t Kill the Messenger” is an interesting and infectious song with some pop elements. It’s fun to hear Drive’s vocals enunciate, stretch, and syncopate certain syllables. The video does a good job of capitalizing on the somewhat quirky musical vibe here.

“Evermore” is the show-stopper of the album. Cinematic keyboards cascade over really grooving drums from Terry “The Animal” Russell. This centerpiece is truly epic. I can’t say enough good things about this tune. The lyrics delve into the age-old fight between Isaac and Ishmael. It’s a brilliant marriage of the Middle Eastern music and the classic and blood-spilt story from that region. Why a million dollar video wasn’t made for this song is a mystery to me, but perhaps it’ll show up in a critical scene in the next James Bond or Marvel movie. The song is so good I almost don’t want to write anymore about the rest of the album. It’s really freakin’ great.

“40 Seconds” comes in with the only real appropriate sonics after a mesmerizing barn-burner like “Evermore” – a ballad. It’s a sad song Drive penned that’s compelling musically and thematically.

“Socially Incorrect” has me anticipating more aggression like “Genetic Dysfunction” due to its title alone. The opening sounds feel like they were also ripped from the streets of an Arabic region. It’s a power metal onslaught that relies more on power chords than speed.

“Blame Me” is a melodic rocker with some sweet guitar tones. George Ochoa really put some excellent work into his playing, tones, and songwriting with this album. Like his bandmates all do, he really shines brilliantly here. Some of the pauses and stop-on-a-dime tightness is very pleasant to a metalhead’s ears.

“Lying Whispers” closes the album with some modern keyboards and nice power chords and a melodic vocal delivery. It’s nice to hear the additives and fills from Ochoa’s guitar playing, Russell’s drumming, and Libby’s bass playing.

It’s not very often that I’ll hear an album and immediately want to hear it again once I get to the end. It’s risky praising an album so much. It makes even the most confident music critic wonder, “Will the readers agree? Will they like it?” I’d bet some money on it.

About Author