THE RING OF TRUTH

A decided improvement over FANTASIEN, the band's first CD release. The band have learned from their mistakes. The addition of Yasuyuki Kuwabara on keys opens the band's sound up a good deal, allowing for the lush symphonic feel they were obviously going for on FANTASIEN to pervade. Likewise, Yokoyama is now free to indulge in layers upon layers of orchestrated guitarwork, bringing Brian May to mind.

But the biggest improvement is singer Junko Nakagawa. No longer the squeaky-voiced little girl she was on FANTASIEN, her voice has grown rich operatic overtones. At last her voice is powerful enough to match the music. On captivating numbers like "The Haunted Voice" and "Witch Of Ice", her voice truly becomes a force to be reckoned with.