Stranger In The Mirror
They start the disc with a twenty-plus-minute epic. It starts with an acoustic guitar based balladic movement that builds rather gradually. In some ways this, with the female vocals, feels a bit like something from Blackmore’s Night. From there, though, it fires out into a killer hard edged and fast paced progressive rock jam. About a minute later we’re taken into a keyboard heavy jam that calls to mind Dream Theater. There’s some tasty soloing as this instrumental movement continues. A minute or so later some crunch guitar takes control in the form of a solo. This jam continues by working through the basic musical structure from there. Around the four minute mark, though, it drops to just piano and vocals for the next balladic motif and they build slowly upwards from there. And, then, around the five minute mark it powers out to a killer melodic but really rocking prog jam that’s got some tasty slow guitar soloing on board. A minute or so later we’re taken into a new fast paced section that feels like a more metallic Kansas. The next instrumental section moves towards fusion, but it gives way to a reprise of the Kansas-related movement. Then around the nine-minute mark it resolves downward to a slower moving, mellower section that’s got a lot of The Doors in the mix along with other stylings more in keeping with the rest of the piece. Again, it builds out gradually from there. That works through then gives way to another drop down to mellower music for the next balladic movement. This one seems to grow much more slowly. There are some great multi-layered vocals in this movement. Then around the fifteen-minute mark it powers out again in a smoking hot jam. Eventually we are taken to an oddly timed jam from there. It feels staccato and very Dream Theater-like. A cool keyboard driven segment serves as the resolution later. That section is worked out to the next vocal movement. Then a killer melodic guitar solo weaves its way over the top. That segment ultimately takes it out. | 
