Xerxes (Switzerland/Metal?) - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Oh my gosh - this just shows why I find understanding prog sub genres so difficult at times. Everywhere I see this album it is described as Prog Metal - we even have the band in metalmusicarchives: http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/xerxes.aspx, but while there are a few genuine 'metallic' passages here and there within the album, I'm predominantly hearing something far more akin to Neo/Heavy prog (even the Heavy Prog element is hardly the dominant one in the album as a whole for me - why Hell, there are occasional hints at something approaching Prog Folk in places to confuse the issue even further). The band absolutely belongs on the site - no doubt at all about that, but I'd have personally thrown this over to the Crossover boys as a first port of call, and see what they make of it all.

Edit 1: Couple of 'mini-reviews' (google-translated) for interest's sake:

http://www.metal-hammer.de/das-archiv/article200852/xerxes-beyond-my-imagination.html

"And it happened at a time when the world was still ruled by dragons and powerful wizards of good and evil being monitored, that an association of five bards took their instruments on hand, in order to create wondrous sounds. Sounds of fantasy and passion that captivate, thrill hypnotize. Bedded on a network of acoustic guitars, reinforced by distorted guitars, infused with unobtrusive yet vital keyboard tones, structured by a seemingly chaotic but highly consistent rhythm section and enriched by a sensitive, expressive singing stimulates group Xerxes the imagination of every time traveler of music. The alternative, the vanishing point of the stupidity of our time! Then I think of no appropriate term, I join the band, which speaks of 'Mystic Fantasy Metal'."

http://www.musik-sammler.de/album/64026:

"Take Loreena McKennitt, Rush, Blind Guardian, etc. throw everything stir in a pan to very good and ready. Moreover the incredible, very medieval ajar voice of Andy Moser, which enhances the depth of the whole compositions yet. Almost perverse is the incredible ease with which the band but very complex Songs are the best. With such instinctive certainty act musicians that only one of the mouth stays open. Perfect! Fusion of metal, rock, New Age and Celtic music, celebrates absolutely timeless. XerXes abated this disc only by the 1997 promo CD 'Falling leaves' (which is no less awesome) listen. Then one of the most unique metal bands in the world vanished in the haze of time. Have fun searching."

Edit 2: Here is the 4-track follow up EP from1997, called 'Falling Leaves', as referred to in the second mini-review above: