INTO THE EYE OF THE STORM

I discovered this band and album by accident one day at a local CD store....It had a sticker on the cover that said something like: "If you like bands like Dream Theater, Queensryche, Rainbow and Rising Force, you'll like this!" And that is pretty much the case. Make no mistake about it, it is definitely Prog-METAL, with an emphasis on the metal. It is still proggy though- odd meters, tempo & time changes on a dime. Some of the keyboard work (much of it on what sounds like Hammond organ) even has a jazzy quality. The vocals have a bit of a Bruce Dickinson-meets-James Labrie-on-steroids kinda vibe, but he is definitely on pitch & on key, with a good range. The guitarist does a bit of neo-classical sweep picking, but there is substance with the flash, and he knows when to sit back a bit. My favorite tracks are: "Smoke & Fire" (Funky Bass groove), "The Wind & the Rain" (Very dramatic), "Lost Memory" (Bach & Roll), and "Red's Recovery" (great workout of an instrumental). Prog-Metal fand should definitel check this out!