CHIMERA

I've now been listening to the album for a longer time and the initial excitement has worn off pretty fast. It has good sides and bad sides, but mainly I think Andromeda have lost their innovativeness. Chimera is much more streamlined than the previous albums, with many songs relying on just one main riff (that is often very good though!) making the song structure much more basic. I sincerely hope Andromeda have not tried to make a more accessible album on purpose!

Chimera is packed with hit material, which is part of the problem. I don't want hit songs, I want progressive masterpieces! Periscope, In the End, The Hidden Riddle, Going Under, Inner circle and Iskendrun are very good,catchy songs, that might prove very successful for Andromeda, especially Persicope. The Cage of Me and No Guidelines have a few great parts but otherwise they do not keep the same standard as the rest of the album.

The ending track Blink of an Eye has a great piano outro with the Periscope theme, but otherwise the track is slow and a bit monotonous(I never though I'd say that about Andromeda!). I wonder if the track name is a coincidence or a subconcious association, since this album reminds me very much of Enchant...

The catchy riffs and passages stay in your mind, but this album is a disappointment for me. Andromeda was a band that had spectacular riffs and crazy, stunning song structures. This album does not stand out like the previous albums, it has good songs, but the experimental attitude is gone.

Now that I've had the chance to write off my dissapointment I can say that Chimera is still a very good album that should be checked out by prog metal fans. A weak 4. I was just hoping for another 5 star masterpiece. I'm sure many of you will love it!

This album is absoulty wrong! it's not prog, it's just metal, the bad metal (all the metal is bad, exception exist, in prog metal, but are a few exceptions!) if you linke II=I, maybe you like this, because this is alike II=I, in fact, i think that Andromeda doesn't has another idea, and make the famous copy paste to do another album. What can you expect of this album?, well, nothing new, originality doesn't appear here, virtuosism go to play with his friend feelling, in any place, but not here. i think that this doesn't need to call "A New Album of Androme", or Chimera, this album need to be called II=I CD2!!!

The Swedish has done it again, another masterpiece from Martin Hedin and Johan Reinholdz. While in Denmark, people dealing with cartoon, in Sweden the prog metal is alive. Andromeda got most of the attention with the previous album II=I which was awesome. Andromeda's music was always complex,challenging and melodic, and that what makes them one of the best prog metal bands today. Unlike other bands who just try to sound like Dream Theater, Andromeda which is definitely influenced by DT, is creating a unique and innovative prog metal in this album again. In this album the band presents the new bass player, Fabian Gustavsson, who used to play extreme metal, but he fitted himself very well to the prog metal. Johan Reinholdz, with the touch of Petrucci, is in my opinion the future of the prog metal guitarists. He combines aggressiveness but also softness,feel and amazing technique, with a coherent composing that brings us pleasure. The music takes us to wonderful musical destinations. There is no stagnation but freshness all the time. This is not a prog metal who is just about to show off with the technique, but much more than that. The developement of songs is impressive - different scales all the time, rhythm changes, heavy and mellow riffs, and magnificent solos by Hedin and Reinholdz. If the previous album sounded a bit heavier for you, you don't have to worry, because this album is a bit softer and we the meolodies, it's a prog metal masterpiece. The intensivness of the first song, Periscope, leaves you with an open mouth, a perfect start for the album. The second song, In the End, reminds me the brilliant song II=I, its melody catches you immediately. The Cage of Me, release the chains from you and let the adrenaline to flood your body. Inner Circle is another great track, I warmly recommend you to listen to it. The album is finished with a live version of the instrumental track , Chameleon Carnival , and for me it's a circle closure, as this was the first track of Andromeda i've heard a couple of years ago, and it made really excited about their music. Andromeda is definitely deserves to have a bigger crowd, and i'm sure that this album will give them the big boost!!!

I'm going to have to agree with the reviewer CGH on this one: these guys have completely withered away from their outstanding debut lbum "Extension of the Wish" and it's a damn shame.

This album here is not a whole lot more than normal metal with bit of rock and maybe some lame attempts to sound like they still have a trace of progressive nature and instinct. If you're looking for something special, look another way.

I give it 3 stars; it's a catchy, easily accessible album but this is the "Prog Archives" and this isn't prog. Cheers.

If you are expecting the Andromeda of old, you will be disappointed, this album is much more keyed down. There are catchy and more commercial songs it seems. Seems definitely to be slower overall then the previous albums. There are some interesting parts on the album. In The End is a good song but the chorus is very cliche although the guitar work is pretty good. The Hidden Riddle, I'm not sure what to think, it's got a lot of slow parts. Going Under is probably closest to the complex previous material.

Well, I only knew the band from their second album which I already reviewed at this site. This new album, in my opinion, is much better than the second one in terms of composition and how the recording is done. The music is very close to power metal than any typical progressive metal. But even though it's pure power metal, I totally disagree with the statement that anything metal is bad. Yeah, rock music has evolved since its inception in late 60s or early seventies. Helloween, a power metal band from Germany pioneered the birth of power metal where rock music was taken with more speed, using double bass pedal drumming with guitar playing like a speed of light. AT first listen I did not favor the kind of power metal music until I was one night hooked with the performance of Kamelot in their excellent album "Karma". So I could enjoy the music of power metal - no matter how fast the tempo is. But most power metal bands create good melody with their music to compensate the speed, I think. So be open with accepting the kind of rock music evolution (or revolution?).

From the opening track "Periscope" (6:11) the band has indicated their musicianship through a keyboard-based power metal music with good melody. Sound mixing is really good so when it moves to second track "In the end" (4:58) it stays coherent with their music style. What surprises me, really, is the use of acoustic guitar style performed in relatively fast speed (hmm it reminds me to the guitar style of Berndt Stredl) at the opening of "The hidden riddle" (5:51). The vocal enters the scene smoothly and brings keyboard solo and music that flows naturally. It's a good track really. I assure you that this track is quite accessible to many ears - slow tempo indeed.

The other tracks are basically a stream of hard rock music with good natural flow from segment to segment, track to track in good melody. Track that really caught my attention is "No guidelines" (6:23) which provides really good structure, composition and melody - and a bit of complexity. All tracks 7-10 starting from "Inner circle" (7:03) until "Chameleon Carnival" are all good tracks. I enjoy all of them.

It's a good album, especially if you like metal music. If you don't, you'd better try it! Metal is good for your health! It has one thing at least: energy!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

I can say that I have 15 years listening many progressive rock and jazz fussion stuff, and a couple of times trough all these years I´ve lost my mind and my thougts in such inspiring music.

every time I hear this album I discover new elements and hidden "treasures".

This is a light album compared to the other two albums, this one has more simple structures and rythms, a very deep and sensitive harmony, great melodies and a really good production.

in other words, a very mature work were you can see the progress in only three albums.

I really recommend it.

Hello everyone! As this is my debut review on progarchives.

Since I started my journey with music remarkably often Sweden bands gathered my attention. Latest is Andromeda.

My very first impression was that I have already heard this style before. Really, guys from Italian band Vision Divine sound vary much alike. At that point it was sad discovery, but very soon I realized that Andromeda really makes much more of those sounds.

You can easy tell that each track was composed with attention on details. Altogether it sound great, heavy, but definitely not dark What I mean is that Chimera won't probably intrigue You, make You wonder on hidden content. That's probably the only reason why I don't consider it a masterpiece. Instead it's an album filled with excellent ideas, powerful sounds. Not a smallest chance to get bored with it.

Without a doubt some this band continues making very good things, in this occasion leaving of side a little the II=I sound, in which they show a concept more unified by the excellent programmings, but in this occasion they bring one to us magnifies metal piece progressive in which it is not necessary to be excessive to be very good, she is one hurts that I with the edition do not count that brings the extra bond but clearing of side that small detail I can say that this disc this very either assembled with structures very or maintained, I have noticed the participation clearly like in the previous one, of all the members of the band, that as additional data I can say that the vocalista this brilliant one, in the case of the previous disc the truth did not please much to me what towards in comparison with the excellent interpretation of the instruments, but in this occasion if it is satisfied with the work with the vowel, in general all are of first order, without a doubt another clear sample that is the disc of a band that is known more good and than clear it has had many experiences touching live, practices that has left one better connection them of all the instruments, this band this raising much of level I at levels of PAIN OF SALVATION create that are of his country and even moving them of a very forceful way, this band by the form to compose and to share the responsibility credits remembers me to the teachers of progressive real metal SHADOW GALLERY, is more considered that they are the future of the best bands, than look for to make original things without being a single person the one that everything does, highly recommendable if you like the progressive fine metal.

WELL,more power metal than progresive,.but men!,this albums rocks!,in a very aspect...their create a good song on this one,and the part of the vocals are very well structurated..this guys plays their instruments very good,all of them are excelent..and they have a noise of the virtuosity..im not comparing music with virtuosity...but they makes the two options as one..and sounds great... i have already listen the albums before,and they are good two,but in the way that this one is their lastest work,i raiting on it.. the influences??ok...is hard....but they have the style of rush,kansas,and ELP..but with a new distortion thing...the new ones..their create their music with a style of black sabbath, metallica,queensryche,and the progressive elements, camel,rush,kansas.elp and these guys are one of the best progressive metal bands of this time..i like the name,Andromeda,sounds good,sounds powerfull.. ok,talking about this album..

rocks and rocks,the keyboards section are pretty good,the voice thing also is good..

i will talk bouti one song...the best one...THE HIDDEN RIDDLE,oh!! men..what they create??..a phenomenal track... a epic moment,so mistery,the voices of david works perfectly,the lyrics are also excelent..the whole thing is great,the chorus makes you sing at the moment you listen to it...the anothers songs are great,and they have the style of a power metal like angra,stratovarius but with progressive elements that makes this album more complete that the anothers bands before..

good work...i will check the next one...

After a great debut and a very dissapointing follow up, this 3rd album is very likeable, it is much more song oriented, less wanky and a lot more focussed than the previous one. I realise a lot of people wont like this approach as there isnt much prog here nor that much intense metal, this release goes more into the Hard Rock/ Heavy metal end of the prog spectrum but it is all very well done and thought out, there are no pointless lashes of technical proeficiency or the usual never-ending noodling ... instead we are delivered rock-solid songs that although may not be the most exciting inovative pieces, stick to your head like candy and are very enjoyable (yes, there is some cheese).

A good return from this swedish band, still miles below their amazing debut but a good album none the less.

They have never been a copy from other bands in progressive music, at least in metal field. Of course they have many influences as any other act but also they have shown album after album and in a sincere way all that passion for music through their songs. In fact, I think that's the key they have always had to find the way of expressing the music's real sense according to their personal and group interpretation of what the melody really is, always helped by their own skills.

They're not an extreme virtuosity music group (but anyone who has listened them knows how good they are as musicians!) and on this opportunity they composed seemingly simple music, accessible to any hearing and if you ask me almost intentionally direct, more than before. Personally I prefer the "complex side" they manifested on Two is One (their best until date in my humble opinion) and certainly influenced by classic progressive rock bands, however on Chimera every piece is well distributed and giving quality to the sum of songs and don't do it to specify in isolated parts.

Can't find any defect in relation to the performance of songs, they're executed amazingly and I would like to make a special mention to Mr. Hedin and Mr. Lejon's work... keyboards and drums are played in an absolutely awesome way but without pretending any excessive instrumental movement that affects the songs. Among the tracks that compose this record I would like to mention some of them that really captured my attention, songs such as:

Going under: it's probably the one of the best tracks on Chimera. It's dynamic, constant rhythm's changes and definitely there's an excellent performance level from everyone in this song, really nice! (9/10).

Periscope: it's an intense mid/fast-tempo that blends heavy and sophisticated music passages with powerful guitar riffs and a notorious keyboard intervention along the track, a great opener (8/10).

No guidelines: another heavy track that makes me to remember a lot Dream Theater's Awake, mostly because of guitar work by Mr. Reinholdz, great job! (8/10).

Iskenderun: the melody and lyrics are catchy, also it possess a magisterial keyboard work creating an atmosphere unique and is supplemented with guitar's heavy rhythms almost all the song (8/10).

The hidden riddle: the more "relaxed" song of all record. Besides, the acoustic guitar section and keyboard's melody are the remarkable points inside the composition (7/10).

By: Epsilon.

Andromeda's third album, 'Chimera', may seem like another typical by-the-book progressive metal release, but upon further listens you can hear that this is a band that still sounds as fresh and exciting as they did on their debut. In a genre where most groups are nonchalantly disregarded as mere "Dream Theater clones", this is proof that Andromeda are in fact an original formula.

Following on from their previous album, with a similar style though possibly a slightly more melodic edge, the band sound tighter and even more refined than ever, and while the quality in songwriting dips here and there, these are, for the most part, some of the bands most impressive compositions.

With epic pieces of work, such as 'Periscope', 'Going Under' and the mind-blowing 'Inner Circle', it's clear that this is a band with a very strong chemistry between themselves, and tracks like 'The Cage of Me' and 'No Guidelines' will please even the most hardcore of metal fans. But, honestly, just check out 'Inner Circle'. Everything about this song is just so refreshing and exciting. It really is a unique little gem.

Another worthy album in the groups discography, this is a band that continue to push themselves and develop new styles and ideas. As much as I'd like to consider them the "next Dream Theater", instead, I prefer to look ahead, as the day will come when we will refer to future prog icons as the "next Andromeda".