THE SACRILEGE OF FATAL ARMS (OST)

Huh. I must say, before everything else, that this is an extremely, well, odd, album. It takes a very very ambitious person/group to create any piece of music that lasts 80 minutes, and in that, you cannot fault Mr. Doctor for having his own visions and not compromising them. I mean, his visions certainly aren't normal or conformist, and they are in fact extremely odd and weird, but it's who he is. No point faulting him for it.

This album, then, is naturally going to be out there. And it is. But, I actually found it very enjoyable. Yes, parts are strange, creepy, just plain "What?", but if you have an open mind (which you should already have, since you listen to prog), then there's a good chance you'll be able to give this album and this band it's due.

A lot of this album is not music at all. The whole opening "pope speech" and other sections thorughout the album are speeches and other random things. It contributes to the album, so you can't complain about them.

However, I must say, the instrumental sections in the song are absolutely awesome, and that can't be denied. Every time a new theme or riff comes in, it's purely incredible. These sections have a heavier edge to them for the most part. However, there are some softer sections, like those with the piano, and these are also extremely nice as well. The opening orchestra is fantastic, etc.

However, the singing is, well, not really singing. The voices used in the band are just odd and, in my opinion, don't work well. Again, though, it's his vision. Yet, I can't help but wondering what this would have been like if they had a normal vocalist. You know, someone who would actually sing the lyrics normally. This would have then easily been a 4 star album. But, it isn't, and the vocal sections bog down the album to a 3.

This is not to sasy that the vocal/not as good parts outweigh the instrumental/better parts. There are more high points then low points. But, it is in fact enough to lower the rating.

Also, there are plenty off good vocal sections (not nearly as many as the not so good ones, though). For instance, the section around minutes 47-48 with the piano is incredible. This is how the rest of the album should be, I think.

This can be a very enjoyable album if you let it. Honestly, I walked into this album thinking "Yeah, right. I'll wind up giving it a 1 or 2" Well, also remember that this would have been a 4 with normal singing. So, as I said, give it what it deserves. You might be very pleasantly surprised. 3/5 stars.