SANDS OF TIME

Fantastic progressive metal mixed with symphonic metal. Noa Gruman has an astounding voice--on the short list of truly great female vocalists. Kobi Farhi (from Orphaned Land, another progressive metal band from Israel) and Jake E (formerly from Amaranthe) also contribute to vocals. A choir and a strings quartet contribute to the symphonic elements. The expected guitar/bass/drums/keyboards round things out.

The only weakness on "Sands of Time" is the occasional growling vocals. They're a nuisance. Fortunately they're not terribly frequent.

My version of the CD includes a bonus track, "Mist," an acoustic demo from 2019.

I'm tempted to compare them to Nightwish or Epica, due to the female vocalist, but Scardust is more progressive than either of those bands. A better comparison is somewhere between Dream Theater and late-era Therion.

This is very close to being a masterpiece. Highly recommended for progressive metal fans. 4.5 stars.