MYSTERY

"Among The Living" is the short intro track that i'm not that fond of. "Wolf" is one i'm really fond of though. There's an emotion to this tune that really draws me in. Great chorus too ! "Between Love And Hate" is mellow to start with laid back guitar as the reserved vocals join in. It picks up before 1 1/2 minutes. I like the guitar here. "Till The Truth Comes Out" has some violin and flute early with atmosphere then the relaxed vocals come in. An emotional tune that is done very well. It certainly turns more passionate later on. Excellent song.

"Kameleon Man" features John Jowitt on bass and Oliver Wakeman gives us a moog solo. Despite this it's one of my least favourite tracks. We then get the over 22 minutes "Through Different Eyes" suite that is divided into six parts. Love the bass on the fourth section. "One Among The Living" opens with lots of atmosphere before the vocals arrive and the sound changes. This is like a reprise of the first track "Among The Living". It's okay. "The Falling Man" is darker and heavier than anything else on here. "Sailing On A Wing" is the uplifting closer that is well done.

A good album that I think fans of Neo-Prog as well as fans of concept albums will eat up with joy. Not quite my cup of java but there's no question this is a talented band. Well done.

The second song, "Pride" (11:28) (9/10) has a fairly simple construct and nothing terribly surprising--feeling like a cross between RUSH Signals-era and GENESIS And Then There Were Three: lots of catchy melodic hooks and some awesome drumming--though the soft section at the eight minute mark (beginning with the acoustic guitar arpeggio riff from "Midnight Cowboy theme) owes everything to maestro, JON ANDERSON (and a little of LOVERBOY). The individual performances are perfection and are especially noteworthy for the coheseive "team" feeling to it all.

The album's jewel, however, IMO, is the third song, "Superstar" (6:59) (10/10). A laid back tune with heart-breaking melodies much in the same vein as MOTH VELLUM. The vocals, guitar soli, drumming, bass and keyboard work are all absolutely perfect! One of my Top 10 songs for Y2K12.

The title song, (7:57) (6/10), has its gorgeous parts--including the guitars and piano--but the vocal and melody lines feel a bit too syrupy---like the group AIR SUPPLY from the 70s and 80s.Even when it hits third gear at the four minute mark it feels too much like 707, STYX or JOURNEY (three of my "second tier" "prog-wannabees").

6. "Dear Someone" (6:21) (8/10) has quite an awesome beginning (even if it reminds me of one of my favorite JOHN DENVER songs), which evolves into an equally gorgeous DEF LEPPARD-like section, thanks to an awesome electric guitar sound. Great melodies throughout this one--and some really hopeful, heart-warming lyrics (I hear you, Benoit! I have children!) Incredible work sur le batterie, Sir Nick, from the fourth minute on! Love the el gtr, flute and drum interplay at the very end.

7. "Time Goes By" (6:04) (7/10) has a bit more use of odd, thoughtful, melody lines woven together in an interesting and, I would guess, (for this band) risky way. The chorus melody reminds me tremendously of THE BUGGLES' "Rainbow Warrior". This one never really grabs me unitl the last minute in a half when the drums, bass, and guitar start playing off each other in an awesome display of instrumental "inter-PLAY." I appreciate this song's 'adventurousness'.

8. "Another Day" (19:02) (9/10) is one of my favorite epics of the year--mostly because I feel so strongly as if I am back listening to the best stuff from COLLAGE's Moonshine or SATELLITE's A Street Between Sunrise and Sunset. And you will find some awesome work by Nick D'Virgilio here!

The World Is a Game is not a masterpiece that propels the evolution of progressive rock forward, but it is a very solid, excellent sounding piece of prog ear candy--with some excellent group and individual performances. Definitely recommended for 'classic rock' and prog lovers.

Although a band of outstanding and highly technical musicians, it's so refreshing to find these skilled artists knowing when to play for dramatic and emotional effect rather than overblown show-boating. Michael St-Pere has such a majestic and heart-wrenching electric guitar sound on this album, everything he plays takes flight. Spaced Out's Antoine Fafard keeps everything grounded with his bass playing and is mixed rather low, but it's in line with the more subtle taste of the band. He does get a number of more prominent standout solo spots that really shine, and his acoustic guitar work is sublime. Spock's Beard main man Nick D'Virgilio's very disciplined, powerful and hugely varied drumming has to be heard to be believed - the guy is on such a roll at the moment. Finally vocalist Benoit David proves what a versatile and commanding singer he is, a million miles away from the Yes/Jon Anderson clone dismissals. It's also great to hear his voice so full of human feeling and compassion again after being so over-produced and rendered mostly lifeless on the Yes album `Fly From Here'!

On to the album...`A Morning Rise' is a lovely instrumental intro with warm acoustic guitar, gentle flute, sparse synth washes and wordless signed vocals. `Pride' charges in soon afterwards, with a heavy guitar crunch and forceful drums driving home what sounds like a softer and less metal version of Enchant. It darts back and forth between softer melodic reflections and forceful powerful grunt. Benoit David's voice is so confident and full of yearning. Nice subtle bass, mysterious synths runs and soaring electric guitar dance amongst the hurricane of D'Virgilio's playing. The emotional and dramatic guitar solos from St-Pere in the middle and end soar straight to the heavens. There's a lot of rising and falling drama in this track, endless build and tension, yet never busy or crowded with bloated soloing for the sake of it. A grand piece that gets better with every single listen. I love the bit about 4.10 minutes in where Benoit's voice cracks, very heartfelt and pained - listen for it!

Superstar' is a floating and drifting 70's Pink Floyd's styled piece, with similar plodding bass and tasteful thick synth waves that wash all over Benoit's dreamy vocals and group harmonies. Despite what the title suggests, I found the words very relatable and even quite sad, recognizing some of the feelings and observations from my own life. The highlight of an already wonderful piece is a number of effortless searing guitar solos that are just dripping with emotion and frustration.

`The Unwinding Of Time' is a brief 49 second musical box melody that starts out impossibly pretty until dark and sinister sounds fade in, before launching into the title track, with a massive 80's styled power/AOR style stomping guitar melody. The most upbeat piece on the album, it's not exactly my favourite, and it is a little repetitive and basic, but I think it's more pleasing uplifting mood helps break up the album from being a little too down and serious. Lots of nice gentle acoustic moments once the track settles down before the hard stadium-rock second half with crashing drums and soft metal riffs.

The sad but optimistic `Dear Someone' has slow melodic guitar verses and harder rocking mid- tempo subtle riffing for the guts of the song. Probably the most straightforward piece on the album, it's a nice mix of acoustic and electric moments, stirring vocals with catchy melodies and just a sophisticated Neo Prog/AOR sheen overall. Undemanding but classy.

`Time Goes By' flirts with slow gothic drama, darkly classical piano and a slightly uneasy wilting vocal from Benoit. It picks up in tempo with some powerful guitar, murmuring bass and spooky keyboards as it swaps back and forth with the opening passage. D'Virgilio's energetic and propulsive drumming crashes through and drives the whole band home in the very dramatic finale.

The album epic `Another Day' is a powerful symphonic stunner that runs through so many clever sections and seamless transitions in it's 19 minutes that it could easily put lesser prog bands to shame. There's endless emotional piano, moody acoustic guitar playing, and Benoit is absolutely superb on the main vocal theme that is sung in the opening and reprised throughout. A few minutes in the piece diverts into a softer Dream Theater flashy/technical diversion that is well played, but I'm not really a fan of progressive rock bands that fall back into fairly unimaginative soft- metal/hard rock riffs. Without even noticing, this soon blends into Mostly Autumn-style chugging riffs with Hammond, but quickly falls away into a wash of drifting multi-tracked Benoit harmonies that will bring up the dreaded Yes similarities again (but seriously, ANY section of this wipes the floor with all of `Fly From Here'!). Pay close attention to the D'Virgilio/Antoine Fafard complex drum/extremely upfront bass dancing play-off - total precision! The finale is a master class of fast upbeat synth solos, flute, mellotron and powerhouse drumming that wraps the album in a suitably grand manner. Interesting that they also finish things up without the cliché of a huge guitar solo, instead opting for a thoughtful come-down.

Do yourself a favour - take the time to just sit down and listen to `The World Is A Game' properly in your own quiet time. That means no travelling and listening on an Ipod, no playing it on the car stereo while you're driving in busy traffic - I'm watching you! Just chill out at home and give it a few plays all the way through, listen to the sophisticated arrangements, virtuoso playing by expert musicians who know when to hold back, and pay close attention to the words and the way they're sung. Let the album truly wash over you. You'll start to appreciate it in a whole new light, and realise it's another winning album to place alongside several other terrific melodic progressive rock albums this year.

Four stars.

The selection is denser than ever before, lush with resonance and effervescent melancholia, as Benoit certainly owns some amazing pipes, which he confidently showcases most unashamedly. The guitar play is stellar as to be expected (St-P're guitarring prowess was never an issue , check out the little undisguised Deep Purple riff and the hidden James Bond theme thingy ('You only live twice' jangle) on the opening 'Pride', Fafard's buzzing bass and Nick's powerful propulsion. A very convincing track that has everything to please and more' perhaps even Mystery's crowning achievement as the voice is just utterly convincing. Man, this is good '..

'Superstar' is always a dangerous word, leading often to delusions of grandeur that may not be merited in any way, so the gamble lever has been pulled. Starting off sweetly pastoral and effortlessly bluesy (wow what a lead guitar!), the beat solid and decisive, the song evolves into this gigantic blowout, a power prog ballad of the highest order with tinges of dissonance that is obvious and daring. Infusing big choir mellotron washes is always a plus for me (I go gaga over choir 'tron) and the Quebecois lads do not even hesitate. Nick's drumming is bold and manly, fitting in gorgeously into the mix. The lead guitar has that positive Santana-like vibe that is unmistakable in its resonant optimism, a very cool trait from Michel's creative mind. The title track actually goes for the jugular, crafting a barrage of lush symphonics and a quasi-Genesis feel that works brilliantly. The tune slowly builds into an anthem 'like arrangement which just shines brightly to the bittersweet end. David of course is the main ray of splendid heat, giving an emotional performance; the man is a solid candidate for best prog voice in 2012. Huge, huge, huge. The guy can probably do Kevin Cronin, Geddy Lee, Jon Anderson, Robert Plant and Michael Sadler imitations in his sleep.

'Dear Someone' shows off Benoit's angelic side, often cited as the reason why Squire and company chose him over a cast of thousands. This is intelligent pop-prog, if the airwaves could only hope to have stuff like this playing on air! Won't happen, the axe solo is too technical and of course too long, the bass is too busy and the drumming beyond athletic. Imagine a prog version of REO Speedwagon and you will see the picture brightly. I could listen to this stuff all day and no passerby would even object.

'Time Goes By' has an altogether singular feel, expertly cinematic like good prog should be, a soundtrack for the mind. Nice and heavy style here, the crunching riffs pounding gently, the chorus divine and the imaginary sublime. David really lays into the microphone here, rich and deserving. Then to close off with a near 20 minute epic is what courage and confidence are all about. 'Another Day' follows all the classic prog epic rules, a huge slice of symphonic ebullience, structured to impact deeply on the soul with recurring themes elevated by well conceived construction, supplied by a variety of musical materials, tools and infinite inspiration. The arrangement contrasts very from gentle to rough and sweaty, clanging acoustics and challenging electrics, a little hint of Locomotive Breath to keep one off balance and a sly mention of 'close to the edge' that only adds humor to the already stellar production. Smart, suave and sensual. A psychedelic bridge section only furthers the fire, like some prog roller coaster. Here the prog gets heavy and raw, there it seduces with sexual dexterity and sensual howls of delight. Again, you cannot help noticing D'Virgilio's stupendous style, a busy and virtuoso performer. Fafard can also play a mean bass, everyone's on the ball. Back we go to the front again; Mystery reboots the whole thing for a second bulldozing run until a crescendo is reached at the end, just like a good eargasm should. The trembling and fuzzy lead guitar solo is divinely slicing through the profound lyrical melancholia; a delicate piano appearing at the perfect moment. This amazing whopper will require repeated listens before it can completely sink in. Fascinating! Certainly a strong groove here that deserves the highest praise.

Not as accomplished on the whole as One Among the Living', this is a worthy album only a few baby steps behind in terms of rating but of unqualified musical expression, with enough captivating moments to warrant frequent revisits. The silly 'prog version of Journey' comparisons need to die, its patently ridiculous by now in Mystery's evolution.

4.5 Toy Planets

The fourth Mystery album shows a fresh and intriguing new chapter for the band, which slowly abandoned the AOR leanings of their early years for the sake of a more Heavy/Neo Prog- oriented sound full of passionate melodies, demanding arrangements and deep grandieur.Their style comes now like a cross between PENDRAGON, SAGA and PALLAS with many bombastic moments, lyrical elements, strong and heavy instrumental textures and unique atmospheres.The shorter tracks are more groovy and catchy than the longer ones, still the musicianship is interesting with a fantastic new singer with a sensational voice and a great combination between heavy guitar riffs, flashy synthesizers, impressive solos, accesible melodies and memorable choruses in a classic Neo Prog manner.The long compositions like ''Travel to the Night'' , ''Voyage to the Other Side'' or the epic ''The Awakening'' sound even more developed with some fantastic and inspired melodies standing next to impressive symphonic synths and powerful guitars, while the climates change constantly between dynamic performances and intense lyrical passages.

Impressive return by Mystery after a long time-out and a monstrous improvement over the mediocre ''Destiny?''.Great vocal performance along with passionate proggy but accesible music guarantee a delightful listening experience.Highly recommended.

I have to say that I am really impressed with Benoit David here. Listening to him on "Fly from Here," it's hard not to compare him to Jon Anderson and seek out where he sounds good enough and where Jon Anderson is missed. But with Mystery there's no need to compare unless it is to compare any former vocalist with the band. David's voice really shines here and at times, when he gets a little rough edge in his voice as in "Between Love and Hate," and "The Falling Man," he sounds a bit like Triumph's Rik Emmett and Gil Moore combined (which I mean in a good way since I like many of Triumph's songs).

The album is heavier than I expected. There are many gentler acoustic guitar parts and some nice keyboard parts as in "Till the Truth Comes Out", but overall it's the heavy guitar in many songs that pleases me. When I was searching for a high resolution image of the album cover for my iTunes folder for this album, I was surprised to find this album mentioned on a Russian heavy metal site. But after listening to the album I was surprised just how heavy it is at times, particularly "The Falling Man". Conversely, there are moments that seem to take the band to the edge of commercial pop before they save themselves. Interestingly, a couple of songs actually remind me of Triumph, particularly the last minute or so of, "Between Love and Hate." As neo-prog tends to include more commercially accessible approaches than symphonic prog and this album features a lot of heavy guitar and guitar solos supported by synthesizer, plus David's vocals are in the higher registers, it makes sense that some similarities to Triumph can be perceived. However, this is not to say that Mystery is a Triumph clone at all. Not at all! But their style is heavier than what I would have expected from a neo-prog band. Still, that seems to be the neo-prog direction these days, considering IQ's last two albums have been heavier and darker, Pallas's "XXV" is closer to metal and heavy prog than neo-prog, and even Pendragon have been including heavier guitar parts on their last three albums.

One thing that is interesting is the 22-minute plus suit "Through Different Eyes". The suite runs in six parts but each part is a separate track. This is similar to Yes's "Fly from Here," which is also in six individual parts that segue together. As I have been earnestly into progressive rock only in the last two years, I have heard epic tracks like Rush's "Fountain of Lamneth," which are actually separate songs of a theme that are under the banner of a single track, and tracks like Yes's "Closer to the Edge" which are more like a suite with movements." I prefer to hear a long song without many breaks between "movements". I see no point in calling a few separate songs a single track just because the songs tell a story. So this album by Mystery has my appreciation because the parts of the epic track can be enjoyed individually but also connect to the next track smoothly and sensibly so the whole suite stands as a whole.

Overall I am very pleased with this album which is also my introduction to the band. The music is not as complex as I had hoped and as I prefer but it is very good. I'll be checking out other albums later on.

Beneath The Veil...was a great step for them..a strong album great passionate songs.

Then better with One Among....

I thought ..now we will receive the best work from Mystery until now..but.

The first song( 2nd really) made me believe it was going to be as I thought.. a.very good long song , very solid ...but then ....5 middle length regular songs...in the average of their first albums , to finish with a very long song but not as good as expected...with a lack of substance.

So if a I wanted to listen to a modern Rush album...or Styx or Journey(prog related era) Ok ...but I was expecting more because Mystery was improving quality through the years...until now.

Not a bad album(in comparison to most of last neo prog works) but not enough for Mystery.

3 stars really

The World Is A Game is the third album from Mystery since they reinvented themselves in the new millennium (their fifth album overall). With the previous One Among The Living, they established themselves as a respectable member of the astonishing Neo-Prog revival of recent years (with bands like IQ, Pallas, Pendragon, and many other classic Neo-Prog bands, all releasing new albums that surprisingly outshined what the same bands did in the 80's, and newer bands like Arena taking the Neo-Prog sound to altogether new heights). Mystery, hailing from Canada, was not initially part of this movement (they began in the 80's as a mildly progressive Hard Rock band, often reminding of a more progressive Journey), but with albums like One Among The Living (that featured guest performances by John Jowitt and Oliver Wakeman) and the present one, they seem to have moved closer to it. This is especially true of The World Is A Game, which will surely appeal to Neo-Prog fans. (Fans of Yes will also inevitably be drawn to Mystery, due to the fact that vocalist Benoit David was recruited to replace Jon Anderson - to which he has a similar voice - a few years ago and recorded the album Fly From Here with Yes.)

While not as memorable as One Among The Living and Destiny?, The World Is A Game can be said to be Mystery's most consistent and mature album yet. They now seem to have found their identity and do not stray outside of their comfort zone. This makes for an album with few surprises, but also without any embarrassments. I find it a very pleasant and enjoyable listen. Like on previous albums, there is a nice variation between acoustic (piano and acoustic guitars) and electric elements (symphonic synths and soaring lead guitar). The melodies are somewhat Beatles-esque at times, while a few riffs approach Black Sabbath territory, and some Yes-like harmonies. (A curious feature is that the epic Another Day includes a brief passage that is disturbingly similar to Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath!)

Recommended in addition to all of Mystery's previous albums, but not their best in my opinion

Some nine years after their previous album, Mystery finally returned in 2007. But it should be pointed out that radical changed had occurred. They were now in several ways a quite different band from the one that recorded Theatre Of The Mind and Destiny? in the 90's. Steve-Perry- sound-a-like Gary Savoie had now been replaced by Jon-Anderson-sound-a-like Benoît David (who later was recruited to stand in for Jon Anderson in Yes). But not only the vocals had changed, also the musical approach. The Hard Rock-edge of the previous two albums was somewhat lost here in exchange for a somewhat softer, more modern, and more symphonic, Prog sound. The Journey-, Rush-, Queensryche-, and Fates Warning-similarities were gone, and they now reminded more of Kansas, Neal Morse, and other American Prog acts.

No doubt, some Prog fans will prefer the old and others the new Mystery. Personally, I like both the old and the new. But somehow, Beneath The Veil Of Winters Face, though definitely a good album in its own right, feels a little bit lukewarm. In my view, it is not as compelling as either its predecessor Destiny? or its follow-up One Among The Living. On the latter, the band had become more comfortable in their new style.

There is not one weak track here, but also there is nothing that stands out as such. This is high-quality progressive music, but not very original or distinctive. Beneath The Veil Of Winters Face is still a good addition to any collection that already holds both Destiny? and One Among The Living, but perhaps not the best place to start.