Hmmm, not bad, I must say. Based on the silly record cover I sort of knew what I was generally in for from this progressive metal band out of The Netherlands - operatic, orchestral metal - but I have to give them credit for being far better than most at what they do, even if I'm not blown away by it. For one thing, I highly respect the fact that rather than relying solely on keyboards (which they do use rather tastefully), the six-piece band also works with an eight-piece orchestra and a six-piece choir to add depth and dimension to their tracks very professionally. Also, the critical component of operatic lead female vocals is handled superbly well here. It's no secret that I tend to hate operatic female singers, but the performance here is absolutely as good as it gets for this style. The singing is emotional and forceful without being cheesy or overdramatic, the vocals are mixed slightly out in front but not in a manner that overpowers or becomes irritating, etc. The entire recording is pretty well handled. I'm not making out much bass guitar, but the guitars and drums sound pretty standard for this stuff (which isn't a bad thing), and the orchestra and choral vocals are expertly mixed to fill in every gap of space but retain clarity. As far as the writing, most of the songs are on the long side (five to nine minutes) and employ ample changes, but transitions play a large role, so they can weave through different areas without really making a stir, and I like that. A balance of tempos is also observed, from quiet string arrangements and slow, flowing vocals to fast gallop riffs and a little bit of a power metal sense of energy. "Fa?ade of Reality" is one of the most diverse tracks, even bringing in some aggressive screams, contrasted by the soft acoustic guitars and lush vocals introducing the following "Run for a Fall" (another of the more varied compositions). The last track, a "bonus" track, is a shortened single version of the nine-minute title track, which I really hate, because, come on... news flash: It's not a "bonus" track if it's just a shortened version of another song on the disc! Who the hell wants to hear a track that's been shortened? No one! It's a waste of four-and-a-half minutes! I'm not into the layout at all. It's all pseudo gothic and ornate with lots of goofy collaged and layered imagery that focuses on the band's fiery redheaded female vocalist. It just looks too busy and comes off as gimmicky. The lyrics, while not my thing, are admittedly light years better than most of this stuff though, not getting too overdramatic or specific in many ways, which is a nice touch. Admittedly some of this is a little boring, and I don't see myself spinning this very much, but much of that is due to personal taste, so believe me when I say that I have to give this thing a 7/10 based solely on the fact that I can spin this entire disc start to finish and actually enjoy 90% of it, which I can almost never say that about a band of this nature. So if you're into this stuff, this is the fuckin' record for you. Not too shabby...
[Transmission/The End]
Running time - 56:23, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Fa?ade of Reality, Run for a Fall]
The End Records - http://www.theendrecords.com
