UNIVERSAL MIGRATOR, PART 1: THE DREAM SEQUENCER

The first half of The Universal Migrator start off with a somewhat lovely B-movie type of sound-effects that reminiscent of a futuristic sci-fi movie as we are introduced to the albums futuristic concept. The first sounds of music remind me of the space grooves that have been done to death by all Pink Floyd inspired artists. I'm not really blaming Lucassen for a lack of creativity because this album does have some enjoyable songwriting moments that fans of progressive metal will enjoy. I personally liked the middle section of the album starting with Dragon On The Sea because these tracks have personality and just are well written songs.

Unfortunately I can't see The Universal Migrator bringing anything groundbreaking or, quite frankly, original to the genre. I can't recommend this to anyone but the fans although there are some straight forward compositions that might be enjoyed by a wider range of metal fans, still it's not worth the price of admission.

**** star songs: The Dream Sequencer (5:08) One Small Step (8:46) Dragon On The Sea (7:09) Temple Of The Cat (4:11) Carried By The Wind (3:59) The First Man On Earth (7:19) The Dream Sequencer Reprise (3:36)

*** star songs: My House On Mars (7:49) 2084 (7:42) The Shooting Company Of Captain Frans B Cocq (7:57) And The Druids Turn To Stone (6:36)