AGE OF IMPACT

When several years ago I wanted to complete my DT-collection and was also interested in related bands or projects I noticed this album and saw that my most favourite DT-member (John Petrucci) played a part in it, I thought well let's take it. My expectations were surpassed by a long way, because this is really excellent !

The Explorer's club was very wise to put the best part of this concept-album in the front. Fate Speaks is an unbelievable piece of work, a huge composition which will be liked by DT-fans and probably most prog metal fans ! It contains a lot of elements, starts very quiet with an acoustic guitar, then breaks loose in a heavy hurricane of sound followed by great guitarriffs, good vocalling performance (Douglas) and it goes on with all kinds of different compositional elements. This is one of the best songs I know !

It continues with a slower, more quiet part (Fading fast), not bad but far less in my opinion.

Part three (No returning) is more impressive again, not as good as part one but better than the second song. Part four (Time enough) can be more or less compared to part two, somewhat quiet.

Then part 5 (Last Call). You could say: the sting is in the tail ! A very good grand finale, as good as you can get, really. What stands out here is an absolutely unbelievable guitarperformance by John Petrucci. This is guitarplaying how I like it best. I like very melodic stuff or endless and virtuoso playing on and on and on. And that's what is happening in this 5th part. Petrucci is even better here than on his LTE-projects (and that is hardly possible).

So thanks to part 1 and 5, somewhat less part three and the also acceptable part 2 and 4 I rate this in the highest category. There is no other possibility. Highly recommended !