MANIKIN PARADE

I heard of this album via PA. There was a big fuss around Vangough, interviews, high ratings... Comparisons with PoS (which I still don't get...). I found Manikin Parade to be all but a modern album, lacking originality, and quite cheesy. Main influences are 80's hard rock and heavy metal, some Dream Theater, Savatage... the elements that can make a masterpiece, or just another dull CD. This one falls in the last category. Here, Vangough sound a bit like Threshold but with a little more pretention. The major issue I think here, being the lack of maturity, and the closeness to their influences. I wouldn't be surprised to see a great album from the same band, because both guys have a good technique, and can do so much more. I think they would mainly have to listen to much more 'modern' music, in order to realize in what musical time they're living. This one star rating doesn't dismiss the band, only the album.