Primal Rock Rebellion-Awoken Broken

Universal, Spinefarm
2012

Primal Rock Rebellion features Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and former SikTh front man Mikee Goodman. Smith has written all of the tracks plus played all the guitars and bass. Goodman does all the lead vocals with backing vocals done by Smith and Tarin Kelley. Dan Foord (SikTh) does the drums on the album. Goodman contributes screams, screeches and spoken word bits. Smith contributes some heavier playing that what we are used to but he also puts in some of his characteristic melodies as well.
This is the most progressive type of work Smith has done and he sounds fairly comfortable doing it. The songs have quite a few pace changes throughout although the album becomes a little less surprising as it goes along. Overall the music is well though out and the moods vary to some extent. Both Goodman and Smith sound very much in control of what they are doing as well. The album is interesting at times, but other moments it becomes flat and just glides along. The end result was that it's above average, but not terribly memorable.