THE END IS BEGUN

This is a great little album that really surprised me. It definitely isn't one of the most progressive in my collection, but it is a ton of fun to listen to. When I bought it, it stayed in my CD player for quite some time, which is always the mark of a good album to me. I believe I recieved it right around the time of the first progressive nation, because they were the opening act and I wanted to gain some familiarity with the bands before I attended the concert. Their performance the night I went was actually incredible and they mainly played songs from this album. That is where my love for this band started. I do think this is their most cohesive and complete album, and also their best.

I love the beginning two tracks that actually fit together in my mind to make up two parts of one song. "The World Is Born of Flame" begins with some fast acoustic guitar playing that was incredible to watch live. This leads right into the title track, where things get a little heavier as electric guitar is added to the mix. I really enjoy Joey Eppard's voice, he is very soulful and can hit some really high notes. "Battle Cry" is a fun song with some quirky guitar interplay that can be quite fun to listen to. "All That Remains" is one of the poppier songs of the album, but that by no means makes it a bad song. It has a catchy chorus that sticks in my head after listening to it. "My Divided Falling" starts off with some awesome funky bass playing before the metal edge comes in through the electric guitar. This song is awesome, one of the best of the album. The main riff of the song played during the verses is just killer. One of the things I love about this band is the way they can mix rock and funk, and this song is one of the funkier ones on the album.

"Serpents In Disguise" is another fun, catchy song similar to "All That Remains". I'm shocked that these guys aren't played on modern rock radio because their songs have great hooks and meld pop and hard rock so well. Tracks 7-9 is the weakest section of the album for me. These songs aren't necessarily bad, they just aren't at the same high quality as the rest of the album and sometimes can be a bit boring and skippable. "Diamond In The Crush" is a personal favorite of mine, and I have no idea why. I just love the great beat and guitar riff that is laid down, it is a great little song. It isn't one of the most popular songs from this album, but I actually love "Shadow Play". it is a slow song with mostly acoustic guitar and Joey Eppard's voice. This track showcases why I love Eppard's voice, it is soulful and beautiful. "These Iron Bones" is a fun rocker before the exciting conclusion to come. "The Last Day" is probably the most progressive song on this album, and I will admit it took me a while to get into, but now I think it is a highlight on the album. The vocal melody is extremely unique and is accompanied by some great acoustic guitar at the beginning. It creates for a fairly haunting effect that works well and leaves quite an impression on the listener after hearing it. It ends with an interesting percussion section as the music softly fades away. A very interesting song and unlike anything else on the album.

My verdict on this album is that it is an excellent rock album with some progressive leanings. There are definitely some Rush and Dream Theater influences at play, but most notable is the similarity to Coheed and Cambria. Every member of the band is an excellent musician and I'd say the standout performer of the release is Joey Eppard with his soulful singing and flamenco style guitar playing. All in all, this album is a joy to listen to and is very consistent all the way through. I highly recommend it to those who don't mind more straightforward rock music with little progressive elements thrown in.