TALIESIN

The music is definitely top notch Progressive Metal, no doubt about it. The one difference from the standard Prog Metal that is a big strength for this band is the very interesting vocal harmonies that they use. They also do some occasional effects that are unique and interesting. Other than this, they seem to have some vocal similarities to "Alice in Chains" but not quite as dark. The other strength is the solid guitar riffs and solos which really make this album worth the listen.

Starting out with "Tunnel Vision", right off the bat, you will get a good idea what you are in for. It is everything you expect from your basic Progressive Rock, it is accessible, yet a notch or two above your typical metal with interesting hooks and meters, but it doesn't wander too far into any experimental territory other than a few short effects and sounds. The guitar effect at the end of this first track is interesting. Next up is "Life Goes On" and you get your first real good taste right away of the interesting harmonies I mentioned earlier, kind of like "Galactic Cowboys" but not as thick. This is a very fast moving track and I absolutely love the way this track just keeps moving forward like a train, but one that is in complete control.

"Lost Soul Drift" utilizes more of the progressive traits of the music and solidifies the fact that these guys are good at what they do and people should be paying attention to them. There is also a bit of synths in there. After this, we slow down a bit for a more ballad-like style, but nothing sappy in the track "Swarm", which shows the softer and semi-acoustic side of the band. Things go back up to speed on "Superstition" and then move on to a more passionate "Simple" which features some piano to help lighten things a bit, but still also utilizes some chunky bass and guitar. It also leans towards some symphonic styles towards the middle before it goes off onto this excellent guitar solo.

The next four tracks are the "Faceless Demos" mentioned in the titile. I don't know for sure if these are demos, but they do have more of an unfinished feel to them and they were not on the original EP. "Awakened by Darkness" starts with an almost speed metal vibe, but quickly mellows out on the verses before starting again. Those unique harmonies are very apparent on this one, and you get that Galactic Cowboys feel again. There are also more changing tempos on this one and a "Black Sabbath" style riff throughout. "The Wilderness" starts with a strange spoken word with a heavy accent before it starts off. The track does have a more complicated sound with a complex melody, but it does have a more unfinished feel to it. "8" returns to the quasi-ballad style with more nice harmonics and a semi-acoustic solo, but again with that slightly unfinished feel. The last track is "Truth of the Hunter", which ends things on a heavier note.

This is a very good progressive metal album which hopefully will get some recognition, because the music is definitely quite good with some stellar guitar work. I would like to hear more from the band myself, but this is everything that is available as far as I can seem to find. This is great, solid progressive metal, and even though there are a few issues like the quick way "Simple" fades out, and the slightly unfinished feel of the "demos", but it's not enough to really bring the album down, so it can easily round up to 4 stars.