UNFOLD THE FUTURE

This double CD is quite long and contains so various music that opinions are way different to get to a nice consensus. It is the best example (or counter-example) of these observations. Simply, the epics here are much great and extraordinary. The tracks "Devil's Playground" and "Silent Inferno" are complex and variations of tempos and peaks make them musically much interesting, as some of the best coming from TFK. Even "Black and White" includes this quality.

Of course, the first one "The Truth will set you Free" is fantastic. Roine Stolt has said, in those years, that it describes the best the TFK music. And I agree. I see that as one of the top TFK epic-production (with "Stardust..."), and one of the best epic tracks ever, by any group. It is responsible for the most part of my good rating. You get all the prog music quality and diversity you can imagine, and it is awesome. Lots of moods and climaxes. And a perfect track for a prog-DJ for going for a lunch ! A good 31 minutes.

Unfortunately, the tracks number-4 (on both CD's) are out of place, in my view. Instrumental, not prog, improvisations without any heading. However, some of the short ones are interesting, with a good sound, groove and lots of feeling, such as "The Navigator", "Vox Humana", "Man Overboard" and "Solitary Shell". The track "Monkey Business" is fun, not serious and more poppish. The other ones are more ordinary, without any big or fancy or original moments.

So, how do you balance this production, globally, because of the all-directions heading ? As others here mentioned, I think the super-good epics save the overall feeling. If you like some very good prog moments (defined in the first two paragraphs here), you think it is more than 'good but non-essential' ! And it reaches the average reported here, i.e. around the mark of 4/5.

An interesting CD to have in your collection, if you don't always go for concept albums, and if you can select the good tracks, which are superb here !