ACT II: THE MEANING OF, & ALL THINGS REGARDING MS. LEADING

As I give this five stars, a lot of you sitting at home on your computers will be thinking "Haha, look at that imbecile." However, this album is practically faultless. Everything about it rings of a mixture between the classic prog rock bands of yore, and modern alternative-progressive.

For example, take the excellent "The Lake and the River". One thing you'll notice about this album is the use of the piano and in this track especially, it's been played to its strength. Dashing between Jethro Tull, Yes, Coheed and Cambria and a little bit of the Mars Volta, this track is an epic journey. The final part of it's a weird, but effective acoustic section with group vocals. It's slightly eerie.

One of my favourite things about this album is the production. In "Red Hands", easily one of the best songs on this album, it is both crystal clear, but creative at the same time.

Pink Floyd influences are obvious in songs like "The Church and the Dime" and influences from the more modern bands are on songs such as "The Procession". This album can satisfy any prog rock fan.

My personal favourite song on the album is "Vital Vessels Vindicate". Although it sounds upbeat and jolly, it is a dark and creepy song. It has a eerie feel of war about it, even though this may not strike you at first. Same is with "Black Sandy Beaches", one of the more melodic songs on the album. It is layered perfectly.

The only thing I have against this album is that occassionally, the pop-punk, emo voice can grate on your nerves sometimes, but the concept and songwriting behind it makes up for it.

In conclusion, I would recommend this album. You probably won't like it as much as I do, but there you go. It's still a joy to listen to, concept or not.