The Towers of Avarice

After several starts and stops during the '90s, Zero Hour finally pulled things together and produced their first major release, Towers of Avarice (their official debut was the eponymous, independently released Zero Hour). The band's longevity contributes to the confident and mature sound they project throughout this rather short (just over 45 minutes), but enjoyable session. Vocalist Erik Rosvold's husky voice is fairly versatile, conjuring up images of Ronnie James Dio, and the thundering rhythm section is relentless. The music is expectedly complex, sounding like a Watchtower for the new millennium with sprinklings of Spiral Architect, Dream Theater, and Fates Warning. The approach is generally heavy, especially on the excellent "Stratagem," but is interspersed with softer moments, as evident on the introspective "Reflections." The lengthy "Demise and Vestige" is the session's best moment and combines all of the group's best assets into a cohesive and impressive whole. While Zero Hour isn't offering anything that hasn't been heard before, there is an honesty and legitimacy to their sound that makes Towers of Avarice a worthwhile effort.