Lion Music www.lionmusic.com
Ian Parry’s brainchild, Consortium Project, was born in 1999 following his previous solo album “Thru the looking glass” in 1995. The project lived for no fewer than 13 years, with the release of five epic tales, reaching its crescendo with “Species” in 2011. Lion Music has done a sterling job in re-releasing the first four after the success of “Species”, each package remastered with a bonus track or two in the mix. Parry utilises the services of a fair number of well-known musicians, too numerous to mention here.
“I: Criminals and Kings” (***1/2) was released in 1999 and was ground breaking in its dramatic/theatrical flavour. The guitars are prominent and raw, while the keys blend it well. Parry is in fine fettle vocally, but the last two tracks on the album meander a bit, which detracts from the excellent remainder.
“II: Continuum in extremis” (****1/2) was released in 2001 and the concept continues with the storytelling based upon modern day occurrences. The music style is similar to its predecessor, albeit more of a mid-tempo feel.
“III: Terra Incognito (The undiscovered world)” (***1/2) was released in 2003 and, while one can hear it follows on from the previous two releases, the keyboards are far more prominent (although there are some great guitar solos), it is more progressive, less melodic and less enjoyable – although “White sands (California Lighthouse” is a standout.
“IV: Children of tomorrow”(****1/2), released in , sees the Consortium Project produce more guitar driven, heavy metal at a slower pace and better melody than its predecessor, with Parry sounding slightly more strident than previously. The addition of electronic sounds here and there provides an interesting twist to the heavy riffing. The music is such that it stands out as the pick of the crop – until, of course “V: Species” came along…
Each re-release sounds superb and contains two bonus tracks, making the quadrology (released and available separately) pretty much an essential purchase for power metal and melodic metal fans.
Nick van der Meulen
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Power Plays w/c 1 December 2025
We feature all the artists selected in this sequence in 2025.
Featured Albums w/c 1 December 2025
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)
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