THE ODYSSEY

The Odyssey is my second take of this band, with the first being Divine Wings of Tragedy. Unfortunately, my views still haven't changed, as this album sounds almost identical to Wings, in addition to the individual songs sounding too similar to each other. I will admit some of the riffs are killer, and musicianship is undeniably through the roof, but these songs lack direction and variation.

The highlights would probably be 'Accolade II' and of course the title track. If nothing else, the title track makes this album worth something. It is simply one of the best epics I've listened to. It flawlessly blends orchestral music with the band's power metal style. There are plenty of good ideas here, plenty of strong melodies and the arrangement is superb. The production could still use some work, especially in the weak-sounding drums. It's a shame the rest of the album couldn't be of the same quality as this.

Overall, this album has a bunch of average, repetitive songs with a very strong epic thrown in at the end. Unfortunately, the title track can only help it so much.

4/10