The line between progressive metal and metallic prog is an intriguing one. Sure, there are a lot of progressive rock purists who will say that anything that has metal in it doesn’t qualify as prog. You have to wonder what those folks think of songs like Yes’ “Machine Messiah.” This disc is one that really skates the thin border between the genres. Ultimately, after going back and forth on it, I decided that it was more metal than prog – but it was a very close decision. However you see the balance panning out, though, this is one of the coolest and most creative discs I’ve heard in a long time. Fans of both modern metallic prog and prog metal will love this. It’s probably too heavy for the prog purists, but personally, I think those guys need to expand their horizons a little.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2011  Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.

A smoking progressive rock jam opens this. It’s heavy, but also fast paced and intricate. As it works out from there, this resembles Dream Theater quite a bit. It drops to a more stripped back arrangement for the first vocals, but this thing is packed with intricate shifts and turns, often while the singing is continued. Sure, it has a lot of metallic sound within, but there’s no way an arrangement this crazed and shifting is anything but progressive rock. The multiple layers of vocals work extremely well, too.