A GREAT DIVIDE

With a main basis in prog metal, they combine that music with classical, jazz/fusion and adds some elements of thrash to the mix as well; creating long songs with seamless movements in style, pace and sound - and fleshing out this release with some brilliant shorter mood pieces.

Influences from others can be heard, but the band is not derivative; more like original - or at least truly imaginative.

And they make their somewhat unique style of music accessible as well. Clearly worthwhile checking out this one!

Suspyre is a american prog metal band beggining their carer early this decade. I was quire surprised to see how less reviews this band has and specialy this album. Very impressive second album named A great divide released in summer of 2007. Suspyre are clearly influenced by bands like Symphony X, for the bombastic and symphonic arrangements and by Dream Theater for metal incorporated in their progressive aproach, the result in quite outstanding. I was very impressed by this album, because I also like very much this style of music, this one was a real treat. The musicianship on A great divide is brilliant, top notch arrangements that flows very well from one to another, each piece is a real treat for prog metal listners. On every track I can trace those influenced from bands above, but are so well composed and incorporeted in their sound, that in the end they sound very intristing and quite groundbreaking in their own way. Besides prog metal , here we can hear some jazz-fusion elemets added melting with prog metal arrangements hand in hand. The album has more than an hour of sheer brilancy, from mellow aproach to rougher ones Suspyre never stop amaze me, some unusual instruments for a prog metal band are here aswell like saxophone or pipe, combined with the rest of the instruments the result is original and intristing. Now about musicians, who are very crafted, the drumer Sam Paulicelli is super (no less), the twin guitars did an excellent job, just listen to The Singer (an awesome prog metal piece, that for sure make envious every other well known prog metal band worlwide), brilliant piece, maybe the best from here. The album has everything from mellow and almost acustic tracks like The Spirit , who slow down a little bit the up tempo of the album and change the mood aswell, instrumental ones like the outstanding Galactic Backward Movements (here Suspyre shows their true talent, no weakness here, only top notch musicianship), and the rest are also very ok, fast and furios sometimes with nice shifting moods and change of tempo all the time. The voice fits like a glove here and did a great job, pointing when needed with the clear and powerfull voice of Clay Barton. What to add, Suspyre is an example of true profesionalism these days in prog metal zone, with all that quite unpopular here in PA and elsewhere, and for sure they need to be discovered by a wider auditorium because A great divide worth every second. I will give 4 stars easy, while they are close in sound with Symphony X or Myrath, they are far behind in poularity then these two bands, it's a shame realy, they desearve much more. Recommended, among the top prog metal bands from today. Looking forward to listen to their last album to date from 2008 - When time fades, from what I heared is even better, can't wait.