On a friend's recommendation I gave Mastermind's newest a listen. Though Mastermind is relatively new to my ears, I recognized familiar elements of prog metal - crunchy, waily guitars, throbbing bass guitar and pounding drum section and keys and vocals delivering rhythmic beats, amazing melodies and virtuoso compositions with cerebral themes. What sets Mastermind apart in my mind is the presence of mezzo-soprano vocals that add to, not subtract from the mood of the music. I found the lyrical content, compositional arrangement, and the band's virtuosity in the album to be impressive.

A concept album of sorts, Angels is a Judeo-Christian flavored retelling of the End of the World taken from the Old Testament. Compared with past releases, Angels seems to be the heaviest to date. Considering the diversity of their body of work, it is difficult to say whether Angels is a good starting off point for those others new to the band's brand of prog metal. I can say this. if you like mezzo-soprano vocals you may want to give Mastermind's Angels of the Apocalypse a try. If you are more into instrumental music first timers may want to listen to last year's Excelsior.

Mastermind's lineup at present includes Bill Berends (guitar, bass), Rich Berends (drums, percussion), Jens Johanssen (keyboards), and Lisa Bouchelle (vocals).

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: The Early Years Volume 2 at garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-The-Early-Years.