This is the fourth release by a band that has been around the German Heavy Metal scene for a decade. That in itself isn’t too bad, especially considering they have obviously been trying to create a repetition on the live circuit while Metalcore was what most people were paying to see. As it’s the fourth release down the line they have had chance to hone their song writing, yet they’ve managed to leave me still thirsty with this offering.
These guys are definitely inspired by names such as Symphony X, Queensryche, Judas Priest, and Fates Warning - which are all pretty high standards to aspire to. Yet there is something that feels unsure and ‘safe’ about what they choose to produce. I can see where the aspirations lie - this almost sounds like a concept album about the social and environmental destruction of mankind but it feels as though they haven’t lived up to their own vision. Which is a damn shame because there are some great riffs and solos throughout the album, coupled with the occasional surprise keyboard attack, and some excellent raw vocal work.
The opening track ‘Children of Tomorrow’ is a bit of a lukewarm false start to proceedings which needs to be sharper and about a minute shorter. ‘Burning Bridges’ fares a little better with solid riffs and keyboard work that makes it a good potential sing-a-long track. ‘The Thin Line’ however stalls the album once again with its ballad like pace that tends to drag on a bit and doesn‘t really pick up even in the solo. Track four ‘Facing Mr. Hyde’ is like track two - it feels a lot better written and more self-assured but again, despite having all the pieces for a potentially epic track, it comes off as a little laboured. ‘Tears of Jerusalem’ feels like standard heavy metal fodder with little signs of prog ambitions to it, but it has a pretty rousing chorus. ‘Under Bloodred Skies’ is a little on the is another one from the prog ballad side of things - it’s a decent enough piano led piece with a nice guitar solo, but unfortunately it just feels a little cheesy. ‘Re-evolution’ has a very promising riff and synth combination that just doesn’t get the oomph it deserves - it’s a solid enough track but instead of chugging along on the guitars it feels more like some serious shredding is deserved here. ‘Into the Void’ suffers from the same kind of issues - it has a great riff and bass / keyboard combination but doesn’t get that little kick to turn it from passable to great. ‘The Dark Side of The Sun’ however, is what I’ve been waiting to hear all through out this album - great lead in, excellent riff, fantastic vocal performance with rousing choruses, and the most proficient soloing on the album bar none.
‘The Dark Side of the Sun’ is a great track that shows that these guys have a lot of potential that they seem to bizarrely shy away from for most of the album. This isn’t a bad album per se, but could maybe have done with a producer who could have really pushed these guys out of their comfort zone and closer to achieving what they are actually capable of. Because at the moment these guys sound like a safe heavy metal band who want to spice their music up a little rather than a band who wants to make a real mark on the landscape of progressive metal.
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