BEAUTIFUL & MONSTROUS

If someone described this music to me, I would have instantly (a bad habit I'm afraid) judged it to be something that I wouldn't enjoy. The modern metal approach, the double bass drum bits, the clean precise vocals, things I usually find too "premeditated" for my taste.

But I listened to some sound samples and decided to give it a try....Man am I glad I didn't listen with my head, and instead I listened with my heart! This is fine music. Much more depth to it than other offerings in this style. Lyrics well structured, the vocal presentation is somewhere (in style only) from TOTO to a modern Christian styling, again a style I usually detest, but for some reason fits the bill here. The keyboard playing is just right as it presents itself in nice layers, making the guitars sound more, in the true sense of the word, "symphonic." The drumming is clean and precise, again fitting THE MUSIC, not some predetermined idea of what a hard rock/modern prog metal drummer should sound like. The bass playing done in the perfect blending of progressive rock melodic movement and the solid, kick drum/bass guitar tightness of modern metal.

Although really I would give this first offering 3.5 stars if available, I will move it up to 4 stars, as this is just purely good music. It has purpose. It needs to exist. It also encourages this aging hippie that there is yet more examples of hope out there for a younger, moving in their own direction yet reflecting the past, generation of progressive rock artist. I can't wait for Subsignal's next presentation!