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Guitarist Stefan Lindholm started in 2004 and it took him and keyboarder Pontus Larsson awhile to complete the line-up. In 2005 they release a demo which got featured by Sweden Rock Magazine, but then singer Tommy Karevik and guitarist Johan Larsson left the band. Some friend of Stefan hooked them up with Göran Edman who liked the songs and got in drummer Mikael Wikman. In 2008 they released their self-titled album and now they present the follow-up Ground Zero.
The opener is called In A Modern World and kicks off with a neo-classical guitar part, then soon it becomes clear that they are more based in progressive metal. Somehow this track reminds me of older Dream Theater... The song shows the craftsmanship of the musicians, but on top of it all is a vocal melody which soon hooks you up. No ear catcher, but a grower. Actually the first song gives a good impression of what Vindictiv offer at Ground Zero, even if after a few songs the lengthy guitar solos are a bit tiring... One of my favorites is Venom. A bit catchier then the others... A heavy riff builds the counter part to the vocals, nice effect. Another cool one is Tweedledum And Tweedledee. Overshoot Day starts slowly, then they add some heavy riffs and head into a complex part. The song becomes a progressive heavy rocker with fast passages. The last track of the CD is The Sacrifice, a mid-tempo track and not as complex as others - and so easier to get into.
A good prog metal album with an extraordinary singer, for me the lengthy guitar excursions are too much. But I never been a fan of guitar solos, so blame me for this. To check them out I recommend: Martha's Song, Venom, Reach Out and The Sacrifice.
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