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Editorial Note: Ok, so I’m a bit late to the game \u2026 what’s new. Van Pelt and Gatto have already nicely reviewed this, and so I spent some time debating if I should even add my 2 cents. But as I come at this from a slightly different perspective – sharing some feelings and observations with each of them – I thought it might be worth posting. And, if you can even imagine, I went so far as to rate it with a number. – Doc.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n Gazing At Medusa<\/span> should by all rights (looking at the cover and the song titles) be an absolutely scorching listen beginning to end. No doubt, things start out well with \u201cSinister Scherzo\u201d \u2013 trademark Tourniquet riffs, classical influence and biting lyrics. Similarly, the closing title track is quite spectacular, those Dean Castronova vocals stellar. But solid bookends don\u2019t necessarily make for a great read. Sadly, from a musical standpoint, this is one of the weakest of all of the Tourniquet releases. It\u2019s hard to put words as to why these songs just don\u2019t jump out of the speakers and capture my unrelenting attention. I\u2019ve spent weeks, actually, trying to figure out why this isn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n \n The problem is not the robust sound mix or production. The guitars and drums shred with conviction throughout and this recording sounds plenty good at volume \u201c11.\u201d And it certainly isn\u2019t the lyrical content. I was a bit worried about that this time around, but after multiple listens and trips through the lyric booklet, this is some challenging and insightful, spiritually \u201cspot on\u201d material. Okay, so what about the vocals? I will state up front that Owens is not my favorite metal singer \u2013 his vocals solid, yet not spectacular \u2013 but I sense that what bothers most about his performance here doesn\u2019t have anything to do with his individual vocal quality or ability. I would argue that, instead, this music wasn\u2019t written to showcase his strengths. And therein, I think, is the crux of the issue. The reason these songs don\u2019t resonate as well with me (at least when compared to the bulk of Tourniquet\u2019s excellent back catalog) has nothing to do with any of the musicians\u2019 individual performances, but more to do with weaker (or at least somewhat repetitive and directionless) song writing.<\/p>\n \n There are too many slower repetitive sections, so the songs don\u2019t maintain their intensity and focus throughout. \u201cLonging For Gondwanaland\u201d starts out wonderfully, but at about the 2:30 mark when things slow down, the guitars plod and they just never recover \u2013 the repeating chant goes on too long and then transitions to the narrative of MLK. Then there is an awkwardly placed solo \u2013 perfectly executed \u2013 but seemingly out of place. The doomy riffs are awesome, but are revisited a bit too frequently (\u201cMemento Mori\u201d and \u201cCan\u2019t Make Me Hate You\u201d). These two songs have such wonderful lyrics, yet musically do not engage. There are too many overly strained vocals that don\u2019t match the music. Some of the narrative is interesting to give the music context, but too much for my taste on these songs.<\/p>\n \n Despite the somewhat disjointed feel to many of these songs, there are islands of brilliance between those two bookends. \u201cAll Good Things Died Here\u201d mixes a nice thrashy romp with the slower riff section in mid-era Megadeth style, and keeps things moving along toward a percussive conclusion. Similarly, \u201cThe Crushing Weight Of Eternity\u201d \u2013 which features Guerra\u2019s patented vocal catharsis \u2013 is a song that reaches back and taps into the Tourniquet roots. It\u2019s a complex song, but the flow is good. \u201cOne Foot In Forever\u201d is also a winner \u2013 faster pace, technical drum brilliance, some well-placed punchy riffs, great lead guitar solo and a good melody to boot.<\/p>\n \n