AS THE WORLD BLEEDS

Christian power metal with some progressive influences. Bombastic, good vocals, fast guitars, quality production, a little formulaic--as far as the music goes, this is very good but nothing unique.

What is unique is the combination of this style of music with Christian lyrics. A few other good bands deal with Christian themes on a much deeper level--Neal Morse did a spectactular job on "One," among other albums, and Savatage sometimes deals briefly yet deeply with religious themes. "As The World Bleeds," unfortunately, has a much more superficial approach. More thoughtful, meaningful lyrics would have taken this album to the next level.

Complaints about the lyrics aside, this is still great music. Recommended for fans of prog/power metal who don't mind Christian lyrics. A mix of 3 star and 4 star songs, deserving of 3.5 stars overall.