SPACE REVOLVER

If I may be straightforward from just the beginning, this is one of those beautifully recorded opus. There is so much ingenuity in it; the band successfully incorporate disparate elements into their complex, contemporary jazz tinged arrangements, enriched with incredible instruments interplay, and yet still enable the listeners to capture its memorably melodic themes.

Such perfection can be found, for instance, in the 15-plus-minute "I Am the Sun, Pt. 1", the opening track of this album. Roine Stolt launch this mighty song with his signature lick, executed in fade in mode, which is followed by keyboard part, both of which produce a lovely typical symphonic intro. After the vocal play its part, the music start showcasing a lot of diversity, including long instrumental passages and time signature changing.

Similar musical extravaganza goes on almost halfway through the duration of the album with the atmospheric sax-infused "Dream on Dreamer", the heavy, multifaceted "Rumble Fish Twist" and the second longest, mighty track "Monster Within". These tracks pretty much sum up the whole album that will guarantee a marvelous journey to the "fairy tales" world of progressive rock.

The band, however, can not keep their strong songwriting and tight composition all the way to the end -- although, it is possible they deliberately do so, putting several tracks we might consider them as "weak", if not "poppy", only for their fun of making music, or rather just loosening the tension. Accordingly, for those who definitely are not into any weak material (let alone poppy one), the last part of the album, except the last track "I Am the Sun, Pt. 2", will most likely not meet their expectation.

Judging by the balances, this is still a not-to-be-missed album that will add a precious item to your collection.