ETERNITY ENDS

This was the first album I ever heard from Time Machine, and still it is the one which I am constantly most amazed with. From the acoustic intro that is The Subversize Nazerene to the final notes of Pilatus this is a masterpiece. I am not exagerating when I say the only complaint I come up when I think of this album is that the final chorus of Eternity Ends the song, runs twice as long as it should. Past that it simply a wonderful album. Nick Fortarezza's vocals are beautiful and well placed, and they always carry you through the music. Nicola Rosetta also provides some very unique drum beats that stand out every time I listen to the album. Although these are the two people who I think stand out most on the album, the rest of the band is certainly at the top of their game for this album. The album is also a concept album, based on the life of Jesus Christ, but the album is not a Christian album. I realize that this album is not very easy to find, but don't be afraid to pick up any Time Machine album, as I have not found one yet to be a dissapointment.

What a beautiful and full of energy band and album. Not to mention, this voice is fiting as a glove in the music they play. Sometimes very romantic , sometimes very powerfull. Not a masterpiece but close enough to me. One of the leading band in prog metal i might say. Forte tracks: Pilatus and Eternity ends, the rest are also good. A band to remember if you looking for something good and well played. 4 stars

The music on this disc has one foot in Prog-Metal and one foot in Prog-Rock. This is very accessible, melodic music with great vocals that have a slight Italian accent that I like. This is a concept album about the life of Jesus Christ and in particular the thoughts he may have had during different moments of his life and afterwards. So naturally there is some controversy over that, but you have to take it all with a grain of salt. I think the lyrics are very respectful. The production on this disc is perfect as we get crystal clear sound.

"End Of Darkness" features acoustic guitar melodies that are joined by a second acoustic guitar part way through.This creates a nice sound in this short instrumental. "Falling Star" is another short instrumental with some good drumming to open followed by some tasteful guitar. Riffs come in as the song blends into "I,The Subversive Nazarene" where we hear vocals for the first time.The guitar is amazing on this track from crunchy to grinding while the drumming is so crisp. Love this tune. The lyrics are Jesus describing his birth and how he came to save the world and how with "...only with one look i'll bring him back to life. And only with my stare i'll open the masses eyes, bringing justice between men". Also "And only with my touch i'll reduce the distance that seperates men from the sky...I'm the new Messiah and you,you call me Jesus, i'm the messanger they announced in the Bible". "Hidden Pain" opens with synths. The first 1 1/2 minutes is a great melody of guitars and drums. Then the vocals arrive in this powerful, mid-paced tune. The sax after 3 minutes is a nice touch. The lyrics are about the thoughts of Jesus in dealing with his pain on the cross and also the pain he sees in the world constantly.

"Eternity Ends" is simply a fantastic song with synths, drums and guitars sounding incredible. Some blistering guitar after 3 minutes. "I Believe Again" might be my favourite song on this album. It's absolutely beautiful ! The sax and tender vocals are great as drums enter the song. And the words "Like a tempest on the sea, like a fire in the wind, like the white of fallen snow, like the blue of summer skies..." "Desert Of Souls" reminds me of QUEENSRYCHE in the intro with the heavy guitars and heavy duty soundscape. The vocals are great as is the nice melodic guitar solo after 5 minutes. "Behind The Cross" is the longest song and it opens with those haunting synths that sound so beautiful. Drums come in and then guitar and we're cooking. Some nice soaring guitar before the vocals come in as percussion and sax follow. "Sphynx (The Witness)" has the best intro yet, an uptempo and heavy beginning. The drums are relentless in this one. "When The Night Surrounds Me" is a ballad of piano, acoustic guitar and vocals. "Pilatus" is about Pilate who washed his hands of the responsibility of Jesus' death saying "I find no fault with this man." In the song Jesus says "Wash your hands and I will live in history forever". The music in this song is heavy with cruchy guitars and synths in the background. There is some TOOL-like drumming before 4 minutes. "Dark Again" is a 20 second closing instrumental.

This is so close to being a five star album in my opinion. It's the kind of record I just can't stop playing. 4.5 stars.

Eternity Ends is the second full-length release by Italian prog-metallers Time Machine. It came out in 1998, just one year after the band had released its fourth recording, the EP Shades of Time. The band's line-up underwent some changes in the space between the EP and Eternity Ends, which is not unusual for Time Machine, considering how they changed singer on every single album they ever released! Long-time guitar player Ivan Oggioni stepped down and was not replaced on the new album. Vocalist Morby also left the band, and was replaced by Nick Fortarezza. The rest of the line-up is unchanged, with Nick Rossetti on drums, Joe Taccone on guitars, and mastermind Lorenzo Dehó on bass. Stefano Della Giustina is also listed as a full-time band member on the record, after having featured as a guest on the 1997's EP. Alessandro de Berti (from Italian prog-metallers Enrico VIII) guests by contributing acoustic guitars.

Eternity Ends is hands down the best album Time Machine have released in their entire career. Already the previous EP Shades of Time had shown that the band had found a more convincing and mature way to express their musical ambitions, leaving behind the complex and over-fragmented sound of the origins in favour of a more accessible, chorus-based approach that still retained sufficient progressive depth. The process of maturation of the songwriting continues ? and reaches its highest point ? on Eternity Ends. The music falls squarely into the melodic prog metal camp, but it does not lack originality. Inspired by label mates Angra, Time Machine incorporate in their sound refreshing Mediterranean and Latino influences, and a strong melodic allure that draws from the Italian singer-songwriter and pop tradition. The use of percussions, sax, and acoustic guitars add further intricacies and depth to their sound. Importantly ? and this is a major improvement over earlier albums - Time Machine never lose sight of accessibility, by keeping the song structures lean and linear and by giving the right weight to choruses in the compositions.

Another strength of Eternity Ends lies in the quality of the band's line-up. Nick Rossetti is a very good drummer. Already on the EP Shades of Time, his addition to the band had brought a more assured and virtuoso performance but also a vastly superior drum sound compared to previous records, and the new album is all the better for it. Nick Fortarezza, the other new element of the line-up, is a powerhouse. He has range and power, but also expressivity, something that many prog metal singers often lack. His performance on songs like "I, the Subversive Nazarene", the title-track, "I Believe Again" and "Behind the Cross" are nothing short of breath-taking. Also, Fortarezza's vocals have that typical Italian pop flavour that greatly contributes to giving a sense of originality to the material.

The album is centred on the persona of Jesus Christ and is divided in 12 songs. There are really no weak spots, but some tracks nevertheless stand out above the rest. After two short instrumentals, "I, the Subversive Nazarene" properly opens the album, and what an opener that is! The song is a robust, powerful mid-tempo graced by some fantastic vocal melodies by Nick Fortarezza, not too obvious but yet very catchy and memorable. The title-track is a bit more of a grower, but on repeated listens shows all its beauty. It has a nice Latino flavour thanks to some tasteful percussion work by Rossetti, and features three excellent guitar solos (two electric, one acoustic) by Taccone, Oggioni (the band's former guitar player) and de Berti. "Behind the Cross" is a grittier piece that, after an unusual start (with a Goblin-like keyboard motif), develops into an epic, powerful mid-tempo.

I kept last "I Believe Again", which is undoubtedly the best song of the album. Co-written with Angra's singer André Matos, this is one of those pieces that are so good that can define a whole musical career. Unsurprisingly, it has a marked Angra flavour, especially if you listen to the version sung by Matos (not included on the album, but on the EP Secret Oceans Pt 2 released in the same year). I love the onion-like structure of this song, with the verse bookending the track and the bridge and chorus in the middle. All three parts sport fantastic vocal melodies by Fortarezza, especially the atmospheric bridge and the ethereal verse. The tasteful use of Della Giustina's sax adds further layers of atmosphere to this beautiful ballad. If you can only listen to one song written by Time Machine, this is the one you should look out for.

Eternity Ends is Time Matchine's crowning achievement. It's a great album of melodic progressive metal, with a distinct Italian / Mediterranean feel. It's original, inventive and skillfully played. It has memorable songs, including one of the best prog metal ballads ever written. I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the hidden gems of progressive metal, and if you are into this genre, you ought to give it a try!