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 Great Voices of Metal June 4, 2003 |
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Damian Wilson is likely unknown to the majority of metal fans, but those who are familiar with his work will likely remember him first leaving his mark on two albums by Threshold, the band
that, in its earlier days, many referred to as the "British Dream Theater".
Wilson, born in 1969, first surfaced with the band Landmarq in 1992 before appearing on Threshold's debut album, 'Wounded Land'. He left for Landmarq once again,
then returned for Threshold's third (and best) offering, "Extinct Instinct".
Wilson's voice is one of the more unique and cutting in music, as it manages to be both smooth and edged at the same time, creating atmosphere reserved for a select
group of vocalists. He can go from a deep-chested low, to a high-soaring crescendo.
Some of the tracks that he helped make magical for Threshold include "Eating the Unicorn," "The Whispering," "Exposed," and "Part of the Chaos".Following his second departure from the U.K. group, he showed his true vocal virtuosity by landing the lead part in "Les Miserables" in London and other parts of England. Praised by critics and theatre fans alike, he played the part of "Jean Valjean" with passion and emotion, and his voice left its mark on audiences everywhere.
Several lighter-natured, atmospheric solo releases
His most recent performance, and arguably one of his best, is as a member of Star One, yet another of Lucassen's vehicles. Matched against some of metal's most talented vocalists, including Symphony X's Russell Allen and After Forever's enchanting Floor Jansen, Wilson's voice managed to slice through each song and send chills at every step of the way. In "The Eye of Ra," he is introduced into the song with a soft-voiced verse, which then builds to a boiling pinnacle. Virtually every song on the release is a highlight for him, with the live Star One release being an excellent display of his abilities. A very down-to-earth individual despite his enormous talents, Damian Wilson is a man who wears many musical hats. However, at the end of the day, he remains one of the great voices of metal.
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The Whispering
have seen the light of day during his more recent solo career,
but his true calling to metal once again resurfaced with the help of Arjen
Lucassen, the mastermind behind Ayreon. Wilson first appeared as a guest vocalist on the Ayreon release 'Into the Electric Castle,' and went on to make appearances
on 'The Dream Sequencer,' 'Flight of the Migrator,' and 'Ayreonauts Only'. 
