BACK TO TIMES OF SPLENDOR

I'm not one to be easily swayed by progressive metal, especially the technical kind, but positive reviews spurred me to check Back to Times of Splendor out, and I do not regret it.

This is a big, heavy sound, but it never seems overly so, or cheesy in my opinion. The guitars have a slightly-out-of-tune quality that I have to believe is more a band trademark than any production limitation. The vocals are largely positive, especially the harmonies, even though I only appreciate harsh and growling vocals in moderation.

Cracked may be the highlight for me, as it covers a lot of musical territory in its relatively short duration, at least short in prog terminology. The epics, Splendour and Restless, are also highlights, the former with a memorable outtro, perhaps similar to Opeth's Deliverance (though probably not as mindblowing), and the latter with a great mellow buildup, but unfortunately also containing a cop-out false ending.

Overall, a quite solid metal album--I was generally surprised and taken aback by some of the power contained within. Despite all the positives, there are surprisingly some fairly simple songwriting techniques that Vurtox failed to acknowledged--or perhaps intentionally decided to stick it to the man--that could have bolstered this solid release even higher.

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