LAST EPIC

This band has toured all the Scandinavian music festivals during the last five years and have established themselves as the undisputed biggest Scandinavian prog-related live act. Their live shows always get raving reviews. So I wanted to check them/the hype out and bought this album.

This is a concept album about all the events inside a building. Music wise, it comes across as a blend of SAGA, FLOWER KINGS, DREAM THEATER and most neo-prog bands on this planet. Unfortunate, the music is very much down the pop/rock alley at times. Commercial and live-friendly. Yes, I can understand why they are on every music festival in Scandinavia. If I, God forbid, wanted to do a music festival in Scotland, A.C.T would most definate receive a call from me. They alone would probably save my bacon/the festival from it's failure.

On a CD in a sunlight room with midges flying around, the situation is slightly different. The cheesyness of A.C.T does not comes across as humour in that situation. I sometimes wonder if they are pretentious or just self-depreciating. Hopefully the latter one, because A.C.T is very much in the QUEEN area here. Over the top and getting on my nerves. The Landlord song is very good. Other songs sounds like an Europop parody. Or is it Europop ? Europop combined with DREAM THEATER like guitar-solos and annoying vocals. Say cheeeeeeeesssseeee.......

But too much cheese is not good for me. Most of the songs here are also anonyme and very forgetable. This is nothing for me. But I would like to see them live.

2 stars