NEBULAE

Once when I wanted to write about Hemina, inadvertently Femina came out from my "pen". Femina is a word that Soviet people familiar with popular Western culture used in the same way that the word "babe" is used in English. Anyway, I can see why this band may hold cross-gender appeal. This is bombastic prog metal meant for the young - the rebels and the romantics, with the pop factor driven to the max. Compared with their debut, which contained 10-minute epics, this is a fairly simplified affair, with the songs mostly staying within accessible limits. There would nothing be wrong with that approach if there were better all-around melodies. This reminds of recent efforts by such bands as Darkwater or Circus Maximus - competent but bland. To stand out in Dream Theater-type metal, you'd have to have an exceptional sense of melody coupled with technical chops of Seventh Wonder, genre-bending of Haken, or slowed-down groove of Atmosfear's Zenith album.