God Inc. "Minstrel's Tale"

Country: Canada
Genre(s): Symphonic
Format: CD, digital
Release date: October 2, 2015
Tracklist: 
1. Prologue/The Final Stand (incl. The Distant Light) (9:08)
2. Helen (4:17)
3. Battlefield (incl. The Journey) (8:24)
4. Gone Forever (2:24)
5. Minstrel's Tale (7:18)
6. Shelter Me From The Storm (4:25)
7. The Tolling Bell (7:13)
8. A Sonata For Annabella (2:55)
9. Walking Home (1:31)
10. Euphoria (15:48)
11. Onward (2:01)

Total time 65:24

Line-up: 
A-J Charron - guitars, vocals
Gordon Howard - drums, percussion
Sylvie St-Amand - keyboards, vocals
Jean-Marc Bruyere - bass

Description/Reviews: 

The band is the brain-child of guitarist and vocalist A-J Charron and it’s his guitar work that takes centre stage most of the time. That said keyboards, while light do show up quite regularly. The overall sound or feel is one that takes me back to the early eighties and that time of the Prog revival. The musical approach is easily labeled symphonic prog, with plenty of dynamics and shifting time and tempo. I’m reminded of some of the more obscure bands like Tamarisk or Gothique. God Inc. has plenty of great ideas musically but they seem to lack conviction in the execution. There is a hesitancy that pervades the music that is felt more than actually heard. Consequently there are notes that seem to be delivered off key particularly in the guitar and vocals department. It’s almost as if the band was reaching beyond their abilities with this release. At the same time there is a consistency to the performance that makes me wonder if that’s what they were striving for. I do know there were challenges in the mixing department and that may still be an issue that needs addressing. I can’t say for sure, all I know is all their great musical ideas seem just a bit hampered in the execution department. I always like to commend artists for braving the critics to crate music and that’s certainly the case here. I look forward to hearing the band mature in future releases. (Jerry Lucky)

Media/Samples 
Shelter Me From the Storm

Links:
Web page
Proggnosis