SPIRITUAL WASTELAND

Honest to God, Veni Domine's lead singer,Fredrik Ohlsson sounds more like Queensryche's Geoff Tate than Geoff Tate does. I don't know if he looks like Geoff Tate but vocally he could put a good Elvis impersonator to shame.

Once you get past the uncanny, what do they sound like? You tell me! They play Progressive Metal not unlike Dream Theater, Threshold or Mastermind so they're in a little less of a commercial vein but dammit, with Ohlsson sounding so much like Tate they sound like a less commercial, more progressive Queensryche.

Well folks, it has been established, Swedens Veni Domine sound an awful lot like a more progressive Queensryche and fans who have been disappointed with their recent releases might want to check out Ohlsson and company.

Spiritual Wasteland

Spiritual Wasteland is Veni Domine's third release and was released in 1998. Previous releases are, Fall Babylon, Fall, 1991 and Material Sanctuary, 1994. It has been five years since their last release but there is a fourth completed album awaiting release. I get the feeling there is some controversy about it.

I began to suspect that Veni Domine is a Christian band. I based this upon it's name which is the title for a Christian song by Mendelssohn and the titles and subject matter of the songs. However, after listening to track 10 which is not a song but the reading of a mythical letter in the future describing the coming of the Anti-Christ and subsequent Armageddon, which I suspect is the subject of the next album, my suspicions were confirmed. This reading is accompanied by a piano and is actually very well done.

Conclusion

The strength of this album is the vocals. The production and musicianship is good but it was limited by the material, which is average. Overall I rate this album a high three or a low four. If this is not much of an enticement to buy the album, remember the other reviewers were more effusive and I wouldn't rate Queensryche's albums for the last ten years this high.