LOST IN THOUGHT

Lost in Thought plays a style of traditional progressive metal in the vein of Dream Theater, Pagan's Mind, and Vanden Plas. Opus Arise may not be the most groundbreaking album you'll ever come across, but it certainly is a fine example of modern prog metal done right. Every song here is extremely memorable and well-composed. This is an album that grabs you with its melodic hooks the first time around, and reveals its complexity and depth over repeated spins. Just listen to those fantastic vocals from Nate Loosemore in 'Beyond the Flames' - or even the entire album, for that matter. The man is simply a fantastic vocalist who frequently reminds me of a younger James LaBrie or Andy Kuntz. Musicianship-wise, Opus Arise is a winner across the board. These guys are clearly very talented virtuosos; there's no weak link here. Just listen to that fantastic keyboard work from Greg Baker, the near-impossible drum patterns from Chris Billingham, the technically outstanding solos from David Grey, and the rock-solid bass work from Rhys Anslow. Lost in Thought is simply a joy to listen to, and the fantastic songwriting surely gives these virtuosos plenty of time to shine.

As odd as this may sound, one of my favorite things about Opus Arise is the production. This comment isn't at all downplaying the other elements of the album, but more-so accentuating how terrific this album sounds. The clean, modern sound still manages to inject plenty of emotion and power that's expressed through Lost in Thought's music. Kudos to Jacob Hansen for giving this album such an outstanding production!

Opus Arise is a terrific debut from Lost in Thought - it's hard to imagine that such great heights were reached this early in the band's career. I absolutely adore this album and will be keeping a close eye on them in the coming years. A very enthusiastic 4 - 4.5 stars are deserved for Opus Arise. This is among the best prog metal albums that the United Kingdom has to offer.

Already I seem to be beating a dead horse with this originality issue, but it's one of those things that I think is a key element in music. It is amazing, though, how well Deane Lazenby copies James Labrie's voice. Whether it is by accident or not, right off the bat you can tell it. 'Beyond the Flames' starts out with a signature Dream Theater guitar and bass riff that soon transfers into some good singing by Deane Lazenby. Even the song structures remind me of Dream Theater. The counter rhythms and melodies are exactly like Dream Theater's down to the last note. While Lost in Thought has lots of skill, namely guitarist David Grey, their lack of originality kills them.

Lost in Thought seems to bridge all of Dream Theater's albums on "Opus Arise". 'Beyond the Flames' could be taken straight out of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence while songs like 'New Times Awaken' and 'Lost in Thoughts' could easily be taken off Dream Theater's newer albums. The drumming on this album doesn't even come close to Mike Portnoy's, but Chris Billingham tries, especially on 'Lost in Thoughts' were the drums sound just like the ones used on 'Pull Me Under'.

The production is especially good, with a warm 70's prog style to it.

While "Opus Arise" features some great musicianship, it takes a downfall because of its lack of originality. This album would've been an easy 4 star album if Lost in Thought could've found their own style. With their talent, Lost in Thought can easily make a much better and more original release in the future, but for now they get 3.5 stars.