ROOM V

I've just come back to this after listening a lot to Dream Theater and The Flower Kings. This is an excellent CD, A concept album that has thus unusual credits in that they list books - (for inspiration and information) - The Holy Bible and - "River out of Eden" by the very famous atheist Richard Dawkins! - Anyway, with this you get a lot of good prog-metal with some softer ballad type songs. Starts with a fast and furious instrumental - MANHUNT. Then you have the first power ballad With the Sexy voice of Laura Jaeger - COMFORT ME. Then a complete change and into power metal with ANDROMEDA STRAIN, a lot of good guitar work and keyboards that complement the overall compositions. Then a slow one - that I really like - VOW. Two short but good instrumentals. SEVEN YEARS - starts with some nice swirling guitars/Piano - in fact this is an excellent bit of prog especially when we get into the Guitar sort of building up into a nice bit of hackettesque axing -m in fact this is my next favourite on the CD Followed by a short ambient piece called DARK - which takes us into a slower ballad - TORN. Not bad but then comes my favourite track - THE ARCHER OF BEN SALEM -I love this track - the swingy riff and the nice synth chords and organ work) - Bit of a nicked Rush riff (Natural Science) at the end but i love this track anyway - Good Prog Metal. with a Dream Theater like instrumental bit with shredding and synths like DT. Good time changes - excellent stuff. ENCRYPTED - bit of a Marillion type riff (Three Boats down from the candy) sort of Rush also - more of a ballad., I still like this trck though - Some nice floaty synth chords into power chords. Into a slower floydy type of passage. a definately Floyd solo is to be heard. The title track is a good one also - I like the cheesy chorus - some nice guitar fiffing - as we go into the last track (RAIN) - again an ace start good guitar work. This is a good track to end an excellent concept - about genetic engineering / Biological warfare... Almost a five star (just falling short - no REALLY outstanding composition) = I reckon 4.2