JEREMIAS - FORESHADOW OF FORGOTTEN REALMS

Lesson learned: never judge an album by its cover. When I saw the album cover for Jeremias (Foreshadow of Forgotten Realms) by the Austrian symphonic outfit Circle of Illusion, I automatically assumed "low quality female fronted gothic metal." I was most certainly wrong. Circle of Illusion offers a disc full (literally) of powerful and interesting music, taking many familiar styles and blending them in marvelous ways. Hearing progressive metal of the caliber of Symphony X is one thing, having the film score inspired symphonic arrangements be of the highest quality is another, but mixing it all in with a heavy dose of disco funk and jazz was utterly surprising and brought a huge grin to my face time after time. Sure, there are other bands who have done symphonic prog metal with a variety of singers, and even bands who have mixed metal with jazz (particularly fusion), but I would be hard pressed to think of many that have done it on this level without feeling typically generic. Circle of Illusions offers interesting music that is attention grabbing, epic, bombastic, technical, and walks that line between serious and fun in the best of ways. And if that isn't enough, the epic 16 minute closer is a journey and a gem. You don't want to miss it.