It’s almost unbelievable but this year marks the 20th anniversary of the creation of Khymera. Granted that Dennis Ward may not have been there from the beginning of the journey but his name is almost synonymous with the band’s existence. After all, he became a member in 2005 and his influential character both in the compositions and in the overall presence in the studio became evident immediately. “Hold Your Ground” is the sixth album by Khymera; needless to say that once again they deliver the goods and they do not disappoint in the least!
Some might say that Ward’s voice – who, by the way, has taken over bass and some keyboard parts – is nothing special. Personally, I’ll humbly disagree as I think he’s doing an amazing job and his voice fits perfectly with the purely melodic rock feeling of the album. But the strong point of Khymera is the compositions themselves. We are talking about an excellent quality level with well-crafted and catchy songs! Here we have refrains and hooks that are reminiscent of the good old days and make you wonder how things would have been for Pink Cream 69 if conditions had been more favorable for the band and Ward had remained with them. Anyway…
Khymera with “Hold Your Ground” submit not only a very decent sample of melodic songwriting, but I would say that in places they impress to a superlative degree. And that says a lot for a band that has been in the trenches for more than 20 years. Well done!
Highlight: I would love to see this band on stage…
