ENTROPIA

From its foundation in dramatic prog-edged metal a la Savatage and Queensryche, "Entropia" flies all over the musical map without losing its harmonic intelligence or emotional impact. Nearly every song has many sections, often swinging from delicate prog balladry to Helloween-ish power metal and back, but it's even wilder than that: "Stress" is punchy metal spiked with bizarre Zappa/Vai-ish accents; the deep, expressive, Queensryche-ish vocals on a sparse section of "Nightmist" give way to a blistering race though jazz/funk and into metal; the blasting, ambitious "People Passing By" sheds its funky bass for artsy, dramatic heavy rock that even incorporates a few floating Pink Floyd influences. Although the songs' sections are generally accessible when taken individually, the album is an intense listen, integrating all the above styles into a dramatic, unique-sounding journey through heavy rock. If you can handle it, it's an exhilarating ride.