MAX ENIX
“Far From Home”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Max Enix is a French based rock/metal singer, songwriter and composer, releasing the double concept album ‘Far From Home’ in 2023.

Offering a unique sound, ‘Far From Home’ was recorded with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, and features fourteen songs of progressive, symphonic metal and rock with added elements of new age, hip hop and jazz! The double album contains many long songs – the longest of which chimes in at over twenty six minutes in length – with an overall run time of two hours and forty minutes! Yes readers, that’s right – two hours and forty minutes! ‘Far From Home’ isn’t just another rock/metal album, it’s a performance of cinematic magnitude, opera like in its delivery, mood and atmosphere, with constant backdrop and personnel changes.

For the album features a host of guest musicians – so many in fact, that I’m not gonna name them all here, but if you take a look below, you’ll find a comprehensive list. However, I will mention – Max Enix wrote all the music and lyrics for the album, acting as director and producer too! For ‘Far From Home’ is much more than just a collection of songs, it’s a production, and needs a team to steer it forward. And Max does just that, acting as captain with the help of Thomas Kubler (additional arrangements and orchestration), Hugo Williame (additional programming), Francois Rousselot (conductor), Victor Monteriggioni (copyist), David Castillo (mixing), Tony Lindgren (mastering), and Marc Krauth (vocals sound recording).

The band line-up for the album, features Max on vocals, along with drummer Leo Margarit (All Things Fallen, Pain Of Salvation), keyboardist and pianist Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Threads Of Fate), bassist Jean-Jacques Moreac (Misanthrope), guitarist Xavier Boscher (Continuum, Nebuleyes), and singer Elise Wachbar. And as I mentioned earlier, ‘Far From Home’ features a host of guest musicians – see below for a full list.

So what of the music on offer? Majestic, magnificent, meandering and moving. For the entire two hours and forty minutes, ‘Far From Home’ is a captivating and engaging slab of grandeur – definitely not an anthemic driving album! It needs your full attention, ’cause of so much that’s on offer – more than one listen is definitely required. From sweeping arrangements to breath taking orchestrations, the album defies pigeon holing, constantly hopping boundaries to effortlessly move from rock to metal to progressive to symphonic to more diverse musical genres such as new age, hip hop and jazz.

Now unlike most of my reviews, I’m not gonna go through every song on the album – it’s way too complex and long for that kind of format. Plus I don’t want to spoil the jaw dropping surprises that await – surprises that will stun, startle and shock. ‘Far From Home’ has something for every one, whether you’re a fan of Dream Theater, Opeth, Nightwish, Katatonia, Pink Floyd, Freddie Mercury, or David Bowie. And as an added bonus, there’s gonna be an “orchestral version” of the album released later this year! As if ‘Far From Home’ couldn’t get any better – yes it will!

Overall, an extraordinary and elegant journey of atmospheric symphonic rock and metal and so much more.

TRACKLIST

CD1

The End Of An Era
Tears Of Earth
City Of Mortals
Prayer Of The Gods
In This Forgotten Paradise
An Illusional Kiss
The Dark And Bright Tunnel
The Forsaken Ocean

CD2

Childhood Emotions
The Broken Face
Beyond My Blood
Mirrors Of Time
Angels Of The Apocalyptic Storm
Far From Home

Full list of guest musicians:

Andy Kuntz (Vanden Plas) – vocals
Tom Englund (Evergrey) – vocals
Devon Graves (Psychotic) – vocals
Fabio Lione (Rhapsody, Angra) – vocals
David Readman (Pink Cream 69, solo) – vocals
Marcela Bovio (Stream Of Passion) – vocals
Farhad “Zink” Hossain (Shumaun) – vocals
Mahdi MK Khemakhem (Carthagods) – vocals
Laurent Lunoir (Oxxo Xoox) – vocals
David Fremberg (Andromeda) – vocals
Michael Herrington (Onetwenty) – vocals
Kobi Farhi (Orphaned Land) – vocals
Damian Wilson (Threshold, solo) – vocals
Toby Driver (Maudlin Of The Well, solo) – vocals
Jon Pyres (Threads Of Fate, solo) – vocals
Carsten Lizard-Schulz (Devoid, Lazarus Dream) – vocals
Angele Macabies (solo) – vocals
Johanna Red (solo) – vocals
Mody Ptd (Kriteria) – vocals
Heather Findlay (Mostly Autumn, solo) – vocals
Niklas Kvarforth (Shining, solo) – vocals
Dan Swano (Nightingale, Edge Of Sanity) – vocals
Benjamin Guerry (The Great Old Ones) – vocals and guitars
Stephan Forte (Adagio, solo) – guitars
Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater, solo) – piano
Mattias Ekhlund (Freak Kitchen, solo) – guitars
Michael Romeo (Symphony X, solo) – guitars
Per Nilsson (Scar Symmetry, Meshuggah) – guitars
Shad Mae/Saout Mael (Devoid, Shadyon) – guitars
Timo Somers (Carthagods, Delain) – guitars
Laurene Telennaria (Orkhys) – harp and vocals
Luciana Lys (Constellia, solo) – vocals
Sebastien Dubail (Constellia) – guitars
Valou Besson Nix – vocal sounds and effects
Agathe Mouchy Capone – vocal sounds and effects
Michael – vocal sounds and effects
Valentin – vocal sounds and effects

https://www.max-enix.com/
https://www.facebook.com/max.enix.73/

This review is the property of Iron Mathew, Frenzy Fire, and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities

---