SALVATION

Beginning with a doom metal blueprint based on the model of My Dying Bride and similar death-doom acts - which usually I find a rather hit-and-miss proposal - The Prophecy's Salvation almost but not quite wins me over with the band's adept use of progressive rock song structures and carefully crafted atmospherics. Typically, progressive rock influences in metal have tended to focus on faster playing than this - what better way to showcase your technical skills and your super-proggy wacky time signatures, after all? - but here The Prophecy manage to tap into spacier precedents and unlike, say, Anathema don't lose themselves in starry-eyed Pink Floyd worship. A solid release which I think I'd enjoy a lot more more if I liked the death-doom style it draws on a little better; tack on another star if you're a fan of My Dying Bride or other members of that particular Peaceville crowd.