CHAPTER II: UNFOLD THE FUTURE

The sophomore release from this Finnish based project is very much of a so-so affair overall.

The main style here is generic power metal. Not sounding very much like any artists I remember, but sounding like a record that could just as well have been recorded in 1986 in terms of style and mood.

The musicians try to create an identity here by making songs with slightly odd and quirky patterns and structures; fast-slow-fast drum patterns and/or riff patterns, a high degree of variation in pace in each individual songs, and even some asynchron rhythm/guitar patterns.

It's skillfully done, but doesn't make the songs any better. Okayish power metal is the end result; fans of the genre - especially those that enjoys technically skillful playing - are the ones that will get the most pleasure out of this release.

Book of Reflections is a project band put together by guitar virtuoso Lars Eric Mattsson, and the first version of this project released an album back in 2004. On this sophomore release from 2006 Mattsson has assembled a crew of musicians to record an album, trying to be slightly more progressive in style than what the debut was.

Musically the main foundation here are traditional power metal. The general style of this release is classic power metal with a technical approach, of the kind that bands started developing in the mid eighties. There is a certain mix of styles on this release, with some tracks based on hard rock rather than metal, but the metal is the foundation and the hard rock based tracks are the variation. And yeah, you'll find some ballads here, too.

What sets this release slightly apart from other releases of this genre, are the structure of the songs here. The songs are mostly quirky, with quirky drum patterns or riff patterns, a creative mix of mellow playing and metal playing, some asynchrony-sounding themes and a general approach to the playing that requires solid technical skill to execute.

But the songs as such aren't as solid as the skills required to play them in this case. And some weak vocal performance in places makes the end result here somewhat weaker than it should have been.

"Unfold the Future" starts of this album with some quirky, fast paced power metal. "Bringer of the Torch" is a slightly calmer effort, a catchy tune dominated by staccato guitar riffs and some nice keyboards. Highlight of the album in my opinion. "Free My Soul" is a smooth power metal song with a strong neo-classical feel to it, with some rather weak vocals making it less interesting than it should have been.

"Heal Me" is a power ballad type of song with some slight oriental touches musically, and another tune where the vocal performance is lacking in my opinion. "Uncover the Lie" is dominated by quirky staccato riff patterns and some nice synth soloing, and is an okay-ish tune. "Ashes to Ashes" has a synth dominated verse moving on to power metal for the last part of verse and chorus, and is another okay-ish tune. "Make Sure You Don't Fall" is a quite interesting slow melodic power metal tune let down by weak vocal delivery.

"Deep Inside" is a quirky affair with asynchrony touches to it - well executed but more of a technical exercise than a good song. "Blink of an Eye" is an okay-ish ballad with guitar, synths and vocals only that lacks variation to be real good. "Got to Get Low" is a quirky hard rock based tune that could have been a strong tune with better vocals. "Love Conquers All" is a ballad that evolves into a power ballad, and could have been a much better tune with better vocal delivery.

All in all it's not a bad release as such, but there are too many weak elements to make this a strong album, at least in my opinion. Fans of power metal in general, and especially those who like their power metal having a high level of technicality to it, should be the ones getting most pleasure out of this one.

Second offer Unfold the future of this discret band conducted by Lars Eric Mattsson released in 2006 at same LionMusic is to me at same level with predecesor, not better, not worst. The attitude is again similr with selftitled album, only the musicians are diffrent with prestation of Martin LeMar on voice from german prog metal band Tomorrow's Eve, Anand Mahangoe on guitar from dutch prog metal band Sphere of Souls, and the drumer and main composer Matsson are the same as on first album. Again over ok, but nothing really special arrangements, neo classical power metal with progressive metal elements makes from this second offer to be only intresting by prog metal fans and I doubt it that all will like it big time. Th parts are from fast to slow with guitars working all the time but aswell the keybords have a good role here. To me Mattsson is an under rated guitarist who knows to handle the guitar very well here he has some very fine solos and arrangements, what lacks mainly is the intresting catchy parts overall as on other bands. Bringer of the Torch or Heal me are the main atraction here, the rest being only ok and nothing more. 3 stars, for fans of power/prog metal only. I'm looking for their newest album Relentless Fighter that will apper somewhere in the may 2012, maybe with that release they will get more exposure.