Metal vocalist Lance King founded Minnesota-based Nightmare Records to issue “uplifting and thought-provoking music for the hard-music fan.” The label has done exactly that over the course of almost 30 years, with memorable releases that help give metal a good name. Now, you can add King’s second solo album, ReProgram, to the list of albums that fulfill Nightmare’s mission. Delivering what he calls “celestial metal,” King embraces positivity in these negative times, reminding listeners that “it’s not as bad as they say” on the speedy “Chaotica” and urging everybody to wake up and “end the epidemic” of a facts-don’t-matter culture in “Wide Open”—the album’s heaviest and angriest track. King possesses a versatile voice well-suited to melodic metal. On ReProgram, you can hear influences that include Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), James LaBrie (Dream Theater) and Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche). Fans of those artists will find plenty of life-affirming performances here.
