HEDDA

Dimension Xone of thefreshest progressive-metal bands to come out of Milwaukee in recent yearsmay be no more, butmembers of that outfit have teamed up with Sun Prairie-based vocalist JohnSwenson (Cherry Pie) to form HEDDA. The CalmBefore…, a four-song EP loosely based on a concept about the battle betweengood and evil angels, serves as a precursor to The StormHEDDA’s full-length debut, expected out in late 2010.

This is classicprogressive-fueled power metal in the vein of Fates Warning, Blind Guardian andearly Queensryche. The majestic opener “Never Yield” signals these guys areserious about their craft, and they seldom waver on the other three cuts.Swenson’s powerhouse pipes were built for this kind of material, guitarist KentHerman’s muscular, unpretentious style suits the songs, and bassist Jamie Mac(who wrote all the lyrics) and drummer Jef Jaeger execute with lethalprecision.

The Calm Before… packs plenty of head-banging promise.