THE END IS BEGUN

At the recommendation of one of my friends, I checked out this band. To my surprise, I quite liked this album. It is a more mainstream/alternative-influenced take on progressive metal, but it is not any less impressive. The acoustic work throughout this album is of particular note.

However, despite the fact that this album is enjoyable, it deserves this rating perfectly: Good, but not essential. I certainly wouldn't say this album is best suited for some people out there, and there are certainly better and more aesthetically pleasing/challenging progressive metal albums as well. For what it's worth, this album is the epitome of 3 stars.

Each song is crafted pretty well, the musicians are not too shabby either, and the songs are good. None of the songs, however, scream 'masterpiece' or tread any new artistic ground in my eyes. They're all just good, well-crafted, shorter progressive metal songs. If that's what you're looking for, this is a very good album for that. I can't recommend this to everyone, however, especially those who shudder at the thought of a mainstream/alternative-influenced sound.

This band has good potential and is very good at what they do. This is easily their best album. It's a nice addition if you're wanting to hear something different yet not too challenging, but for most proggers out there, your collection would be fine without it.