DESERT BUTTERFLIES

Listening to this a couple of times on progstreaming.com I am so impressed with the musicianship, quality of sound recording (layers of guitars rarely sound this good!), and quirky eclecticism of musical themes and influences. I like this even better than all Orphaned Land albums except Mabool. Why this doesn't earn five stars is for the fact that most riffs, themes and song structures feel "old"--i.e. like rehashings of music that's already been done. Don't get me wrong, this is a great listen, a great exhibition of a gifted guitarist's talents; it's just that some of the music feels like stuff I've already heard from older guitar heroes like Jeff Beck, Al DiMeola, or Corrado Rustici.

Favorite songs: "CoCoon," "Fata Morgana," "Neo Quest" and the title song.