Immortal Guardian

Immortal Guardian delivers a strong debut with “Super Metal” - an album that shines despite its weaknesses and refuses to stay within any single genre. Power, prog, technical death metal and symphonic elements are all present within the mix, and are effortlessly melded to create energetic, fun and engaging music.

Gabriel Guardian’s riffs and solos have the technical edge of bands such as The Faceless and The Human Abstract, and the furious (yet heartfelt) wankery found in other guitar greats like Gus G. He stands out in that he is both technically proficient and able to write memorable harmonies and riffs - a skill beautifully put on display in “The Great Escape,” “Disclosure” and “Desperation.”

Guardian launches into a ripping solo, then adds subtle keyboard-flourishes and harmonies to accompany the guitar. It peaks my interest and keeps my head banging, but these moments don’t happen as often as I’d like them to. After repeat listens, the constant barrage of solos blend together. This doesn’t diminish Guardian’s ability as a guitarist (more notable solos: first post-chorus in “Surface” and in “Disclosure”).

Listen to the entire album on Eye In The Sky’s Website

Gabriel Guardian’s raw talent on the guitar may seem to steal the show, but the rhythm section of this album is what really leaves me wanting more. Despite other members’ skills, Cody Gilliand definitely takes the cake for his phenomenal drumming. I didn’t like the sound of his bass drums, but the rest of his kit has a refreshingly organic sound that isn’t found often in modern metal. Fills and cymbal work on “The Great Escape” even have Gilliand taking some of the spotlight. In short, the man is an octopus.

An attention-grabbing bass line from Foster Minor in the opening of “Surface” reminds me of Protest the Hero’s Arif Mirabdolbaghi. Guitarist Jyro Alejo effortlessly keeps up with the blistering lead guitar and gives the music some much-needed groove.

While the band’s instrumentation is very good, its vocals leave me conflicted. Wesley McCool sounds uncomfortable in the very vocal-centric “Disclosure,” like he’s straining the upper echelons of his range. In other clean passages, such as the chorus of “Surface,” his performance also falls flat. The vocal harmonies are well-written, but McCool sounds out of his element. In contrast, he shines in the frantic “Nevermore” and the awesome, anthemic fadeout of “Desperation.” And when he growls, McCool takes the song and kicks its ass - a technique that leaves a lasting impression.

While Immortal Guardian’s debut album may not deliver anything particularly groundbreaking, they are honing their craft and display a sense of maturity not often found in younger bands. I’m excited to see in what direction this release takes them.

Rating: 7.4 of 10 - SATX Music

There’s always a silver lining. And this post is living/digital proof. Because if my shitty camera battery wouldn’t have gone dead the night these blokes tore up some SXSW sidewalk on Red River – I’d still likely be sitting here without as much of a clue as to who or what the hell an IMMORTAL GUARDIAN is.

Thank you dead camera battery. Thanks to you, I was able to witness one of the wickedest outdoor sidewalk blazing saddle shred sessions I’ll probably ever see. - RockThought.com

There’s always a silver lining. And this post is living/digital proof. Because if my shitty camera battery wouldn’t have gone dead the night these blokes tore up some SXSW sidewalk on Red River – I’d still likely be sitting here without as much of a clue as to who or what the hell an IMMORTAL GUARDIAN is.

Thank you dead camera battery. Thanks to you, I was able to witness one of the wickedest outdoor sidewalk blazing saddle shred sessions I’ll probably ever see. - RockThought.com

This guy is awesome! A lot of time and practice went into this!!! - Ebaum's World

My comrade Corey Mitchell hated Immortal Guardian’s most recent release, Super Metal. And while I haven’t heard it, based on the fact that the band is called “Immortal Guardian,” the album is called Super Metal, and a member of that band goes by the name “Gabriel Guardian” (Seriously, dude?), I can pretty much guarantee that it would not be my thing.
That being said, this video of Mr. Guardian shredding on both his axe and his keyboard at the same time is pretty darn impressive. I know people who can barely chew bubble gum and walk in a straight line, so three cheers for coordination, y’know? - MetalSucks.net

Immortal Guardian

From chili to conjunto, Texas' best cultural exports are usually the result of taking a handful of bold ingredients and whirling them together until something delicious drops out. Such is the case with the Current Reader's Poll pick for the city's best metal band, Immortal Guardian: their name is a bus crash on a foggy European back road involving black metal legends Immortal and German power-bards Blind Guardian. Their sound, too, wanders from hither to thither, with Wesley McCool's rumbling death-growls thundering over a twitchy electrified flooring of tech-death presented in a framework of pure European power. Their reputation as a fearsome live act has developed as their tour schedule has gotten heavier since 2008, and anyone who's seen band mastermind Gabriel Guardiola do his concurrent guitar/keyboard solos knows that DragonForce no longer has a lock on jaw-dropping instrumental tightrope acts.

This blender-take-all approach to the hard and heavy extends to Immortal Guardian's new EP, titled Super Metal — a name that giddily recalls the gray-market Mexican "Super Hits" cassettes of '70s metal superstars gone by. Released here at home after a series of street shows in Austin for South by Southwest, its songs build on the all-over-the-place appeal of IG's mix of prog, power, melodic, and tech death. (There's even some pretty, pretty piano, for you symphonic metal kids.) The band's obvious enthusiasm for the material informs their eclecticism; it's like they think there's so much awesome stuff happening in the various genres they incorporate that they don't want to leave anything out. "This city is full of great metal bands, and we're ecstatic to have been named the best," bassist Foster Minor responded to news of the win. The band's future is already clogging up with tour dates, and Minor only knows one thing: "We will not disappoint." - San Antonio Current