MASQUERADE SHOW

Masquerade Show is the third album from Sweden's Maze Of Time who released their debut Tales From The Maze in 2006. It's my first encounter with the band so I'm unable to compare this against previous releases but having formed in 2001 they've had plenty of time to develop their craft and become a competent, though it has to be said, not particularly exciting band.

That's not to say Masquerade Show is a bad album, far from it. Though it lacks originality the band are all decent players and turn in a few memorable moments such as instrumental Dark Matter, Predator (a few more displaying the melodic finesse of this and we could have been onto a winner) and Mountain Of Madness. On the ten composition's Maze Of Time's sound is symphonic/neo prog with quite a bit of heavy prog which sometimes enters metal territory. While the band have a grasp of putting together convincing composition's with the requisite twists and turns and dynamics required of your average prog band the weak vocals, lack of strong melodies and ear pricking instrumental workout's is likely to leave Masquerade Show largely forgotten and undiscovered by all but the few. 2 ½ stars.