CRYING OF THE WHALES

I would opt to give this a 2.5/5 rather than a 3 but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Forward thinking enviornmental prog? If there isn't any other way to explain it this would have to be it. ABARAX seem to be at one with mother nature, or rather the whales. It makes for an interesting concept as every song has explicit tones of embracing Mother Nature or we will pay. That sort of deal... There are some shining moments on this album, however, the non-shining moments outweight those. The epic lead off track "Crying Of The Whales Part I" (which is the second longest track of the disc) leads you in the wrong direction with an atmospheric buildup and narration that really doesn't go anywhere. Don't get me wrong, it is an amazing atmosphere this creates with a great guitar solo throughout it all - but most of the album is made up of these meandering parts that really leave the listener wanting more. Tracks like "Nature's Voice" and "Point Of No Return" fly high as some of the shining moments with strong neo-prog influences, good guitar work and decent vocals. This band has some potential and I think it is definately something worth checking out for fans of progressive music. Looking forward to the future with ABARAX!