THE GAME

When I first heard The Game I had an uneasy feeling the band was falling apart, which, sadly was really happening. It is a shame, for they were very promising and had evolved a lot since their debut. The second, Masquerade, is a near masterpiece of prog metal. For the third they tried to expand the formula without repeating themselves. This was partialy successful, although some of the group´s tighness is somewhat lost in the process. Certainly Sandra Schleret is a very unique and strong singer, with a fine classical trained voice that sounds like no one else. I also loved Frederic Heil´s keyboards playing: he gave the band much of its symphonic sound. The rest of the band were not far behind, they were all skilled musicians.

Unfortunatly neither the songwriting nor the overall playing is as inspired and strong as on Masquerade. Still, the CD is very well recorded and has some good cuts. Even at this turbulent stage they could outdo most of prog metal bands in terms of quality. Production is quite superior to those of previous effords also. If you liked Masquerade you´ll probably enjoy this one too. If you´re new to the band I suggest you start with Masquerade. 3,5 stars.