RAY ALDER – Announces sophomore solo album “II”

[Samsara]

Damn good! Loving the Abdow/Alder chemistry.

[EPICVIEW]

My Oblivion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV9iBr001So

I like this one, pleasant enough imo its got QR Tate sounding parts.. has that Tate solo feel still a bit safe sounding, doesnt knock me out sorta of like a more mellow version of Tates Sweet Oblivion stuff,,, i feel a little old JLT in there also

[WardySI]

Album dropped and as expected really enjoying this one. 

I do feel however it won't top What The Water Wants, only negative being feel the heavier more modern slant of this one has left it lacking as many singalongs perhaps?

But it's cool as and the highlights are of course huge and deary me that voice! 

[TAC]

I spun it at work yesterday and it was pretty nice.

[jingle.boy]

I spun it at work yesterday and it was pretty nice.

I spun it last week, and it pretty much made it into instant-purchase territory.  I'm gonna let my love for it settle a bit, and give it another spin just to make sure.  Ray sounds simply magnificent.

[Mebert78]

I gotta say, "Changes" is one of the best songs Ray has done with any band -- Fates Warning, Redemption, Engine, etc. That song is absolutely killer and the vocals are in Ray's sweet spot. I also noticed he sings it without many vocal harmonies -- it's just him singing with raw emotion straight from the gut. And the lyrics. Just wow. So simple, but so powerful. An all-time Alder classic.

[abydos]

Yeah, it is a banger. The whole album is really high quality songwriting. On a side note, more FW related but still, YT played this on its own which I had completely forgotten - FW covering Dio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXaMFKTgBB0.

And on another side note, it's about high time Arjen gets Ray to sing the main parts of a good Ayroen album.

[Awaken]

Really enjoying this album, I was a fan of the debut but this is on another level (IMO).  All of the players on this deserve a ton of credit for writing some great music. 

Ray sounds amazing, he's getting better with age - as much as I loved the early Fate's stuff he was on, I prefer recent-Ray's approach to vocal melodies (lumping in the last two Fate's records, too)

[Dublagent66]

The whole album is pretty good.