SAVIOUR MACHINE

Legend Part II is the 4th full-length studio album by American progressive/ dark metal act Saviour Machine. It´s the second ( as the title says) album in the Legend series which lyrically is based on The Book of the Revelation of John. A dark concept well suited for dark music.

The music on Legend Part II is unmistakably the sound of Saviour Machine. The commanding and emotional operatic baritone vocals of Eric Clayton are as always the center of attention, while the basic instrumentation of guitar, bass, drums and keyboards are boasted by extensive use of both choirs and orchestration to create a grand epic sound. This is the band´s most epic and symphonic effort. Saviour Machine is not your usual progressive metal act by any means. You´ll find no impossible to play solos, technical playing or other progressive metal clichés on Legend Part II and Eric Clayton isn´t your usual high pitched metal singer either. The man posseses one of the most unique voices in the progressive metal genre and is actually closer in the sound to David Bowie or Andrew Eldritch than he is to James Labrie or Ray Alder. The music is mostly slow to mid-paced and contains layers upon layers of instruments and overdubbed vocals. A very hard soundscape to penetrate and appreciate when initially listening to the album.

The music can be dark and gloomy with Eric Clayton reciting bible passages but also grand and epic with Eric Clayton singing in his tortured emotional style. The music can seem repetitive and the songs too much alike and I have to admit that I find this a very hard album to get through even though it´s quite fantastic when I´m in the mood. 79:25 minutes of music is very long for an album and maybe a bit too long in this case, but on the other hand I greatly appreciate songs like The Whore of Babylon, Behold A Pale Horse ( which is the most accessible song on an otherwise extremely inaccessible album) and the 10:35 minute long The Promise. This is of course one long concept and all songs seque into each other to form one long epic story. One thing is for sure. Legend Part II is the kind of album that takes much patience to appreciate. I´ve listened to this album for a couple of years now and I still only feel like I´ve scraped the surface. All those layers of incredibly well composed music just leaves me breathless and exhausted every time.

The production is professional and suits the music well. Personally I would have preferred if the guitars were a bit louder in the mix because sometimes they drown in the many layers of keyboards, choirs and orchestration.

Legend Part II is an excellent album by Saviour Machine which grows on me every time I listen to it, but for newcommers to the band this might be a pill too big to swallow and I would strongly recommend starting with the self-titled debut full-length album if you´re interested in a dark and unique take on progressive metal. Legend Part II gets a 4 star rating from me.

This is the third album in the "Legend Trilogy" although it's really the first half of the final chapter, so we get one more album "Legend III:II" which should be out soon.Eric Clayton the band's singer and leader has said that SAVIOUR MACHINE will disband after that final part of the trilogy is finished(although they may play some farewell concerts). This particular album really recalls the sound and style of their first two albums which for me is a good thing.The first two "Legend" albums were apparently difficult listens with less guitar.I should also mention that the "Legend Trilogy" has been called "The Unofficial Soundtrack To The End Of The World".So this is not the most upbeat subject to build an album or trilogy around is it? Although for the topic at hand SAVIOUR MACHINE play the perfect style with that gothic and melancholic sound.This is pretty heavy lyrically with the words all mostly coming from the book of "Revelations" the vision that John saw while in exile on the Isle of Patmos.It's so interesting to read that book because John is often just describing what he sees and it was obviously way before the technology we have today.He must have been horrified at times.Jesus in Matthew 24 said that if God didn't intervene no flesh would survive this time.The darkest and scariest time this earth will see,that's the subject matter here.Check out Zechariah 12-14,Daniel 9,Matthew 24 and Joel for more insight on this terrible prophesied time. This album opens with "Twelve-Hundred-Sixty Days" .Daniel says that there will be this image called The Abomination Of Desolation set up in the temple,Jesus warns that when the Isrealites see that happen they should drop everything and run.That's where the 1,260 days comes in,that's how long they will hide in the wilderness for.The music features dark piano melodies before vocals and a full sound come in before a minute.The tempo and mood continue to change. "Revelation 13" is all about the rise to power of the Anti-Christ (The Beast) and the False Prophet.Vocals are spoken as he quotes scripture.The music here is more intense as we get riffs with the guitar playing over top.Eric cries "Who is able to make war with The Beast?" "Legend III:I" is an instrumental of acoustic guitar,strings and choir. "The Ancient Serpent" is who gives The Beast his power.The vocals are solemn as a choir comes and goes.It kicks in with riffs around 2 minutes but acoustic guitar and reserved vocals continue.Incredible track. "Abomination Of Desolation" features a female choir early before it kicks in with passionate vocals.A powerful tune about Isreal being betrayed by The Beast who boasts "I am a God,i sit in the seat of gods in the midst of the seas"(nations).It's standing in the Holy Place. "Image Of The Beast" is something IRON MAIDEN fans know about(haha).This isn't funny though as The Beast demands to be worshipped and that everyone take his mark or you can't buy or sale.If caught without the mark you die.A nice heavy soundscape to this one.It stops briefly as these creepy vocals come in(guess who?).This contrast continues. "AntiChrist III:The King Of Babylon" is dark and atmospheric with these gothic vocals.We read lyrically who The Beast really is and what his motives are and who he serves. "The Final Holocaust" is really a prayer to God to save Isreal.Waves of synths until about 3 1/2 minutes in when a choir and spoken words come in.So cool. "Two Witnesses" is both gothic and dramatic. "Three Angels" is an instrumental of synths and piano as it builds. "Four Trumpets" features almost spoken vocals that repeat over and over "Tears abound,hear the sound from the throne".This is the cry of those martyed by The Beast crying out for their people from heaven.A nice heavy soundscape while these words are spoken. "The Locusts" is just plane scary to read about.It says that in those days men will seek death but death will flee from them.Riffs and grinding guitar in this one.Killer track. "The Sixth Judgement" is dramatic with spoken words that say "Release thee;bound at Euphrates" ,"Free Them","Angels of judgement come forth" "The Dead Sea" is very ominous sounding with banging drums.It gets heavier before 2 minutes.So intense. "Rivers Of Blood" refers to the blood of the saints.Acoustic guitar melodies and synths.Beautiful sound here.It kicks in around 1 1/2 minutes with a powerful sound and vocals. "The Plague And The Darkness" is about God pouring his judgement upon The Beast and his kingdom.It kicks in quickly with riffs and vocals.Outstanding tune. "The Fall Of Babylon" opens with choirs before it kicks in with guitar.Choirs end it as well. "The End Of The Age" is the brightest and most emotional track.Synths, piano,drums and vocals lead the way until the female choir arrives before 2 minutes. Can't wait for the final album! Easily 4 stars.

I have only this album by the great Saviour machine, not a simple Prog metal acts. 'Legend (part II)' is the 2nd chapter of the story of Biblical book 'Apocalypse'.

The musical style of 'Legend' and in this case of 'Legend (part II)' is a strange connection of Opera Music (for a bass singer [and this is not common for Prog Metal]), Gothic Metal, Prog metal and Ambient Music. So 'Legend' project is not easy triligy to understand. I did listen to this CD for a singer / actor of operas and he did not immediately understand the meaning of music! His explanation was simple: 'The Gothic and Ambient are predominant in a global vision of music and do not allow to follow the same (on CD) words and music. One listen is for the music... One for the vocal part and one is going to understand all music/ vocal parts'. It should be noted that at this singer sang in a group Gothic Metal at the time of this sentence!

If this is the result of careful listening by an employee to work... Imagined for someone like me as it must have been the first listen... Even today, 'Legend (part II)' attorney trauma to my mind!

Basically 'Legend (part II)' is an album that flows like a placid resurgence river from the first second of music. Basically 'Legend (part II)' sounds like a version of Opera Music of Black Sabbath with Dio but Gothic/ Ambient! I remember that I read a review in 1998 in an Italian Metal magazine where this statement had me very impressed. Listening to the CD I can say that this is true. Interesting is also a conceptual approach near some extremist Black Metal in seeking the atmosphere without creating music with atmosphere. In that case the Scandinavian forests (or close to the North Pole) to be raised. In this case is the story of concept that is to be raised. In Classic Metal an example to me known is King Diamond's 'Them'/ 'Conspiracy' albums.

decribing the music is difficult for me. But not because Inot have understood the music. Simply because I do not have the knowledge to be able to go in a correct description of the music in its technical aspects. The only description of music can I give is a description of the style. And I have already described at the beginning of the review the musical style of 'Legend (part II). Here I would add that the music of 'Legend (part II)' is very cold.

In conclusion 'Legend (part II)' is difficult album to undertand but easy to listen. Masterpiece like this are rare and precious. Although not reaching the 5 stars.

4.5 stars.SAVIOUR MACHINE's second album continues on the same path as the debut with it's dark and gothic mood with Christian flavoured lyrics.As UMUR mentions, this one is more difficult to digest than the debut was but patience is the key here to unlock the beauty.There's something very emotional about this music,much of that has to do with Eric Clayton's deep,operatic vocals.He is the focus. "Saviour Machine I" has to be my favourite track on here.Eric Clayton says "This opening track...is an introduction to the story that follows.It foreshadows the coming events and acts as a passionate invitation to listen on.I've always felt that this song is one of the most intimate songs i've ever composed". And he's right about the vocals being so passionate as he cries "Come with me..." in the opening line.Lots of great, dark piano lines as well.Love the guitar before 3 minutes.It's perfect. "The Gates" is a short instrumental intro for "Enter The Idol" which begins with the guitar taking the lead.The guitar grinds away throughout as vocals sing with passion.Some excellent guitar and drum work on this one. "The Hunger Circle" opens with some prominant drumming and synths as vocals come in.I really like the drumming on this one.Guitar and piano follow.The vocals are pretty intense,and we get some relief 3 minutes in as he stops briefly. "Child In Silence" is extremely moving.It's about children who are in silence, suffering in various ways.The guitar plays over top wonderfully as Eric almost whispers the vocals at first. When he sings out,almost pleading,the guitar just soars.It ends lyrically with the words "Child in darkness, i've heard when you scream in the night,in this fear of letting go,in the light, i'll be standing there to hold you".Gulp. "Ascension Of Heroes" is as Eric says "...a lighter song in it's musical direction and almost humerous in it's lyrical content.It is an ironic anthem of the hypocrysy within the Christian music world,specifically when Christian artists are elevated to a position of stardom and expected to remain humble". "Paradox" is a short track with no real music just samples. "The Stand" is over 16 minutes long.The epic.Love the atmosphere and the lone guitar to open.Drums join in at 1 1/2 minutes as the tempo starts to pick up.A full sound 2 1/2 minutes in with vocals,but it calms down quickly.Piano joins in.The song changes tempo and moods throughout as it unfolds. "American Babylon" is a real favourite of SAVIOUR MACHINE fans.A ballad with reserved vocals and piano that kicks into gear 5 minutes in.Quite emotional. "Ceremony" opens with piano as drums,guitar and vocals come in.This is dark folks.I like it a lot. "Overture" is a short orchestral sounding piece that leads into "Love Never Dies".This is a brighter tune that is encouraging after all the darkness.A song of hope really.It reminds me of the picture i have of a SAVIOUR MACHINE concert that shows only the crowd as far as you can see,in darkness,yet each is holding up a candle.So emotional.Speaking of emotional the final track is heart breaking. "Saviour Machine II" is something that is beyond words.You have to hear it to feel the emotion of Eric's voice,i have never heard and felt such passion.It is Jesus who is crying these words as he is about to die on the cross.Not words of self pity, but words of power and victory.It is finished!

4.5 stars.This is an absolutely stunning debut from these gothic Christians from California.Very dark and atmospheric with a singer who has a great baritone voice.You may remember him(Eric Clayton) guesting on Ayreon's "Human Equation" record.His brother Jeff plays lead guitar in the band.They list BLACK SABBATH and PINK FLOYD among many others as influences.I should note that although they are Christians, the lyrics are mostly taken from the book of Revelations which suits the music perfectly, being a very apocolyptic book.Also of note,this particular album was banned from Christian book stores in the U.S.A. weeks after it's release for the lyrics in the song "Legion".The lines "The dragon slides between her legs" and later "Between her legs they crawl in torment" were specifically the targets, although there were other issues apparently(big surprise).That's typical in my opinion of religious people who are always on the lookout to point the finger and judge,but that's another subject. "Carnival Of Souls" is my favourite off the album.What an opening track! It features a hard driving rhythm and choir-like backing vocals.Great sound.It settles(love this part) as vocals arrive a minute in.It moves me when his vocals become more passionate 2 minutes in.This contrast continues.The guitar sounds echo 5 minutes in.Nice. "Force Of The Entity" opens with some in your face guitars before vocals come in.A galloping rhythm follows as these themes are repeated.Backing vocals are cool. "Legion" is mid paced with grinding guitars throughout.The tempo picks up 1 1/2 minutes in.Some guest piano in this one is a nice touch. "Ludicrous Smiles" is an energetic and powerful song.The guitar fills the soundscape with metal as drums pound away after 2 1/2 minutes.Great tune. "The Wicked Window" opens with grinding guitar and gothic vocals.There is so much tension in this section that you would think something is going to blow.It's not until 3 1/2 minutes in that the tension is released, as it calms down with lots of atmosphere.The final minute is complete chaos. "Son Of The Rain" is a top three track for me.An explosive intro settles down quickly as vocals and piano come in.There is so much emotion in the vocals on this one. "Killer" sounds so good to start.This is my other top three song.It actually reminds me of FATES WARNING when it calms down at first.Then we get this middle eastern flavoured guitar.Nice.This is the longest track at 10 minutes.Great vocals 5 1/2 minutes in.The last 2 minutes are very epic sounding, like from a movie. "The Widow And the Bride" is full speed ahead metal.It settles 2 1/2 minutes in but does kick back in a minute later.I agree with UMUR that this is the weakest song on here. "Christians And Lunatics" has a nice heavy soundscape with deep vocals and thunderous drums after 3 minutes. "The Mask" is brighter sounding.Vocals before a minute.Piano before 4 minutes.This is one of the better songs. "A World Alone" opens with some gentle atmospheric guitar as reserved vocals come in.This is almost ballad-like.Very meaningful lyrics with some orchestration.I like it a lot. "Jesus Christ" opens like the last song with beautiful sounding guitar melodies.Soft vocals come in.The song and vocals become passionate and triumphant.This contrast continues.It ends with the words "Set us free". This record just draws me in,i really like their dark atmospheric sound.

Live in Deutchland is the first live album dark progressive christian rock/ metal band Saviour Machine released. It consists of songs from their first two studio albums. The music on those two albums is masterpiece material IMO and hearing them in live versions is nothing but astonishing. This is in fact one of the best live albums I have ever heard. I know that there is a video of the show, but I haven´t seen that one yet but I bet that it´s excellent. Saviour Machine are known for making some pretty theatrical stage shows and lead singer Eric Clayton is always a site to behold. Dressed in black, shaved bald, whitechalked in the face and with a giant piercing through his forehead.

I said that Saviour Machine is a christian band and they are. If you´re anything like me ( non-believer, Atheist) you´ll probably run away screaming but I promise you there is no need. The lyrics deal with christian ideas and thoughts but in a very dark ( Sometimes apocalyptical) and melancholic way. There is no praise Jesus or I love God here or it´s at least not said in such a direct fashion. These lyrics are meant to make you think. Nothing is delivered to you in an easy way. A single God bless you between Killer and Carnival of Souls isn´t something that bothers me too much. Eric Clayton doesn´t speak much between the songs other than announsing the name of the song they are going to play which is probably due to the theatrical live production in Saviour Machine´s shows.

Saviour Machine´s music can be described as goth rock mixed with progressive and classic metal. The metal parts are not that heavy and only occurs occasionally. The music generally evolves around Eric Clayton´s vocal lines and it is Eric who is in focus most of the time. His voice is an operatic baritone David Bowie type voice and he sings with lots of theatrical pathos. There are many middle eastern sounding guitar riffs in the music. Saviour Machine is generally vey majestic and symphonic.

The concert starts with Introduction which is a part from Ludwig Van Beethoven´s Symphony nr. 9 and the Moonlight Serenade. A fitting dramatic beginning of the show.

Killer from the debut album is delivered in a menacing and powerful way. This is such a majestic song. This live version is much better than the already excellent version on the debut. Killer is one of the many highlights of the album.

Carnival of Souls which is also from the debut is the next song with it´s almost Sisters of Mercy like riffing and vocal style. The song ends with a repetitive symphonic riff that builds to a climax. It´s such a beauty and one of the most classic Saviour Machine tracks. Even people who don´t like Saviour Machine much enjoy this song when I play it to them.

Enter The Idol is the first song from Saviour Machine II and it´s probably the Saviour Machine song that resembles progressive metal most with it´s complicated ( well not really) rythm pattern and the symphonic keyboard. Note that the vocal melody is changed a bit during the chorus compared to the studio version.

The Wicked Window is such a dark beauty of a song. It is a sinister song which builds toward a climax in the first part of the song. After the climax the song has an acoustic middle section which seques into the fastest and most heavy part Saviour Machine has ever made. What a powerful track. Again this is much more powerful than the original version on the debut.

Legion which again is from the debut is a generally uptempo goth rock song with some really dark lyrics. Lines like: The Dragon slides between her thighs, The Dragon Breathes the Fire, As Blood drips form her Eyes, Until Delivered of the Child. This is some occult and disturbing lyrics. It´s great to see that Christians can also write about the darker sides of life.

Paradox is a short intro to the epic 16:07 minutes long The Stand which is the center piece of Saviour Machine II and also functions as that on Live in Deutchland. From the beginning of the song with the middle eastern sounding guitar riffs to the grand finale this is a masterpiece of dark progressive rock.

A World Alone is a beautiful song and as on the debut it seques into Jesus Christ which is a dynamic song. It shifts between subtle silent sections and heavy loud parts. Both songs are performed with fierce passion.

Overture is an intro to Love Never Dies which are from Saviour Machine II. A majestic power ballad that almost gets a bit too overblown but as it sounds so great Saviour Machine is forgiven. At least in my book.

The concert ends with the title track from Saviour Machine II. There are two versions of that song on Saviour Machine II but this one is the most rock orientated version. Excellent choice.

The only songs I miss is Force Of The Entity from the debut and American Babylon and Ceremony from the second album. This is a near perfect song selection though and you have to face the fact that you just can´t include everything from two albums and fit it into a single album format.

The musicianship is excellent. No errors in the instrumental apartment that I recognise and everything is played with passion. Eric Clayton needs a special mention as his performance here really shows how great a singer he is. Powerful and passionate delivery all the way through the show. The man never misses a note.

The production is wonderful. Better than on the studio albums.

This is simply a wonderful and unique album. It even overshadows the two studio albums the songs originally came from. That´s how a live album should sound. If you´re curious about Saviour Machine I would tell you to start here as this is the best introduction to the band that you´ll get. This is a masterpiece album and fully deserves 5 stars. Higly HIGHLY recommendable to fans of dark theatrical progressive rock/ metal.

BEHOLD APOCALYPSE

Legend Part I is the third studio album from american dark rock/ metal band Saviour Machine. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums in Saviour Machine one and two and the excellent live album Live in Deutchland from 1995, Eric Clayton and co. started working on the very ambitious Legend concept which by now spans over three albums ( and as I understand a fourth one has been in the making for a long time, but has been delayed due to Eric Clayton´s bad health) of which this one is the first. The concept story is the tale from The Book of Revelation ( The Apocalypse of John), and without being the big expert when it comes to the new Testament, of which this is the most controversial book for sure, this is a very dark story about the end of the world.

The music on this album really suits the apocalyptic story well. It´s dark, sombre and at times angry. If you know the style of music Saviour Machine play the music on Legend Part I will not be a surprise as their distinct sound is unmistakable. Eric Clayton´s baritone operatic David Bowie croon is still the center of the music while piano/ keyboards, drums, bass and guitar creates the musical background. This is not technical music and it is not music where you´ll be dazzled by soloing or other exciting instrumental parts. These songs are compositions which are meant to move you emotionally and make you think. There are many quit piano driven songs where Eric Clayton sings beautiful melody lines but there are also some heavy symphonic songs like The Birth Pangs ( my favorite), Gog: The Kings Of The North and The Invasion Of Israel. What all songs have in common is the dark tense emotions and apocalyptic feel.

This is not an album that is very easily accessible and many will probably never get through the 75:51 minutes the album last. Some because they will not enjoy the depressive/ apocalyptic mood and some because the music can seem repetitive. I think the repetitive nature of the songs helps build the dense atmosphere, but for many years I was not able to enjoy Saviour Machine´s music because of this, so I understand the critics.

The musicianship is good and especially Eric Clayton needs to be mentioned for his emotional performance. Eric Clayton is just one of the most exceptional singers in the world and his paatos moves me every time. Some might find his style pathetic but personally I love it. He gives everything and then some.

The production is a bit weaker than on the previous albums which is a real shame and it does drag my rating down a bit. It´s not a bad production just not as good as it could have been.

The cover artwork doesn´t look too exiting here but holding the original black jewel case in my hands the letters are printed directly on the case and it makes this artwork a bit more original. The black case of course suits the dark music well.

Being a big concept story there are parts on this album that almost cross into musical/ story telling territory and even though I really enjoy those parts they are not as exciting to me as the REAL songs. Saviour Machine is without a doubt one of the most original and dark bands in the world and I simply love their music. This album isn´t their best in my opinion though as there are too many subtle songs and not enough heavy songs for my taste. It´s still a great album that deserves 4 stars, but mind you that you shouldn´t start here if you´re new to Saviour Machine. Start with the debut album as it is the most easily accessible album they have made. It´s like they have become more and more inaccessible with each album they release. To some this will be a treat and to others it will be a turn- off. Judge yourself.

— First review of this album —

I´m not sure about the story behind Demo ´90 album from american dark christian rock/ metal band Saviour Machine. Was this recorded as a full album or is it a couple of demos collected into an album ? Well it doesn´t matter as the music is of pretty high quality on the whole album. If you like the debut album from Saviour Machine chances are that you will enjoy this demo album as well as it is in a similar style albeit a bit more rough around the edges both when it comes to sound quality and compositinal skills.

Before you get all woried about the whole christian rock thing, I´ll just state that I´m an atheist and normally don´t like christian rock as many of the bands with those beliefs have a tendency to preach. Saviour Machine is a bit different. They do tell biblical stories and use biblical references but they don´t preach. They tell stories. I´m not so ignorant that I can´t enjoy a bands music just because of the lyrics if the music is as excellent as it is when we´re talking about Saviour Machine. And don´t worry these lyrics are dark and angered and sung with the most powerful paatos you can imagine.

Saviour Machine´s style is best described as dark rock/ metal influenced by early eighties dark rock bands like Joy Division, The Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim and The Mission, some mostly eighties progressive metal tendencies and the most important thing the beautiful and very distinct vocal style of singer Eric Clayton who sounds like an operatic version of David bowie. Eric has an incredibly powerful and majestic voice that took me some time to appreciate. On this demo album there are also influences from genres like punk and classic heavy metal which is not something you normally would hear on a Saviour Machine album.

The album consists of eight songs and only two of those songs appear on the debut album from Saviour Machine which means you get lots of value for your money. The two songs that appear on the debut is Carnival of Souls which stars this demo album and is played in a more unpolished version here than on the debut and When The Cat Came Home which is basically an early underdeveloped version of the Mask from the debut with different lyrics. It´s easy to hear why it´s those two songs who made the cut when Saviour Machine chose the songs for their debut album as they are both strong and memorable songs. The other songs are also very good even though they are not as tight or memorable. The album ends with the 20 minute long epic track The Revelation which is really enjoyable even though it´s clear to hear that at this time in Saviour Machine´s career their music had a hard time entertaining for 20 minutes straight.

The musicianship is not the tightest but I like the raw and powerful youthful approach to the songs. It´s really strange to hear parts in a Saviour Machine song that makes me want to bang my head.

The production is of good quality when you remember that this is a demo recording.

Being a great fan of Saviour Machine these days this demo album is a real treat for me. It´s taken me years to understand and appreciate Saviour Machine´s music but it´s easier to understand people´s excitement over this band when you listen to this album or the debut first. Preferably the debut of course but this one should be listened to before going further into their discography because from the next album forth Saviour machine´s music became pretty inaccessible and much harder to appreciate. That´s not to say that the later albums ( Saviour Machine II and the Legend albums) aren´t as great as the early releases from the band they are just much harder to get into. This one is pretty straight forward though and should be easy to appreciate. As it is a demo album and the sound quality and the quality of the compositions does vary, I´ll rate the album 3 stars even though I enjoy it more than average. Be sure to check out Saviour Machine as they are a great progressive rock/ metal band.

My first experience with SAVIOUR MACHINE (''Saviour Machine 1'') was really something special,I liked their debut album very much,well-arranged prog/gothic/symphonic metal......But this one...sorry,but the 2nd album is less inspired,I think I listen to the same atmosphere the whole album,it is quite boring,it's a bad copy of their first (excellent) album and you must try hard to listen to it from the start to the very end...If this album is your first experience of SAVIOUR MACHINE then maybe it worths a spin,otherwise just pass by...you don't lose something...

I was full of praise after listening to Saviour Machine´s debut album and I gave that one 4 stars and I´m still considering if it´s a true masterpiece and if I will upgrade it to 5 stars. Saviour Machine´s second album is a bit different as it is not as accessible as the debut ( which wasn´t very accessible either), but on repeated listens it grows on you to the point where you have to surrender to the wonderful dark emotions Saviour Machine produce. This band is really something special. I have actually known about Saviour Machine for many years and I have owned this second album since 1999. I never really took the time to try and understand Saviour Machine´s music though as I found it too trivial. Eric Clayton´s voice was also a bit of an obstical to get over, as it is very extreme. Not that it isn´t beautiful and melodic, but his baritone operatic David Bowie croon can be hard pill to swallow for the whole duration of the album, which is 76:27 minutes long. Let´s face it, 76:27 minutes is very long for any album and most albums that are this long becomes boring at some point. I felt tired after listening to this album the first many times, but suddenly I was drawn in, and as one of the few albums that have this length it never bores me and what is even more important there are no fillers.

Even though Saviour Machine is in the progressive metal catagory here on Prog Archives there really isn´t much metal about them. Yes there are distorted guitars but they are not that dominant. What dominates the instrumental side of this album is the piano playing from Nathan Van Hala, who was added to the lineup for this album. The lead guitar melodies played by Eric´s brother Jeff Clayton that very much dominated the debut are also a big part of Saviour Machine´s sound here on the second album, but they are not as dominant as on the debut. This is in fact the big difference between the two albums. The songs are still very symphonic prog rock/ metal songs which are build around Eric Clayton´s voice. This is the kind of music where you have to have the lyrics. Without the lyrics the music can seem a bit repetitive. Eric Clayton´s lyrics are dark and poetic words about tortured souls, despair and human downfall but with a christian angle. Don´t be fooled though as he doesn´t try and preach or praise God or Jesus in his lyrics. I´m an atheist myself, and normally I hate christian preaching and praising, but this is different so don´t let it scare you away. The music can´t be compared to the more conventional progressive metal ala Dream Theater and their many clones. There are almost no instrumental runs or technical playing here the music is solely made to follow Eric Clayton´s melody lines. I said about the debut album that the music was influenced by goth rock bands like The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission and Fields of the Nephilim. This is still true about the second album, but there are not many songs here that rock. actually there are only two. The rest are slow to mid-tempo slow building symphonic songs and this album is generally very symphonic.

The album starts with the piano driven Saviour Machine I, which took me a while to really appreciate, but the melody has slowly crept into my mind and continues to stay there. It has an eerie mood. The two rocking songs follow. Enter the Idol and The Hunger Circle are the only songs that reminds me of songs like Force of the Entity and The Mask from the debut and they are also the only two songs on this second album that comes close to being progressive metal. Both songs are really excellent compositions.

Child in Silence is one of the only times on the album where I think the quality drops just a notch. It´s still a wonderful song though just not on par with the best here. Ascension of Heroes is a beautiful symphonic song which builds to a climax. It´s a very good song.

The center piece of Saviour Machine II is the epic track The Stand. This one has several climaxes and some great lyrics. It´s 16:12 minutes long and this is one of the songs on this album that I had the hardest time getting through on initial listens. It´s a real beauty given time though. Very dark and emotional.

American Babylon and Ceremony are some of the most beautiful songs on the album. American Babylon might be my favorite here. It starts out with piano and Eric Clayton´s desperate voice and builds and builds until it reaches it´s climax. This is so powerful. Note the climatic part where every intrument plays it´s own part while Eric Clayton almost spit out his anguish and despair. Ceremony is a really eerie and dark song, it´s also a favorite of mine.

Overture is just a short instrumental passage to lead into Love Never Dies which is also a very good song even though this is the second time the quality drops a notch. Saviour Machine II is a re-working of Saviour Machine I, It´s also very good allthough I like number I better.

The musicians are very good here and not a note is played wrong and everything seems thought through. Eric Clayton has to be mentioned in particular as he might be one of the most original singers and personalities in the music business. His vocals are very commanding and emotional and his stage appearance is very strange too. Dressed in a black cloak, white chalked in the face and with a big piercing through his forehead he looks like a morbid minister.

The production is much better than on the debut which I complained a bit about. Here it is very good though and suits the music very well.

This is a 4 star album for me even though it might be upgraded in time to a 5. As I said in my review of Saviour Machine´s debut album their biggest asset is also their biggest weakness. Eric Clayton´s voice defines the sound of Saviour Machine and without him there would be no Saviour Machine, but as mentioned before his voice is very extreme and it is hard to sit through the whole album if you´re not in the right mood. This is highly recommendable though to fans of dark and gothic progressive rock/ metal.

NOTE: After having listened to Saviour Machine second album a lot over the last couple of months since I wrote this review I have now come to the conclusion that this is a masterpiece and deserves all 5 stars. I have therefore upgraded this album from 4 stars to 5 stars. I´ve come to realize that Saviour Machine is one of my favorite bands even though my worldview is very different from theirs, but I just can´t stop listening to their beautiful and dark music and that´s a good indication that this is something really special. Their music has moved me more than most music is able to.