DIVIDED

With this sophomore album, sadly their last one, Dutch band Lemur Voice delivered their ultimate testimony for the world of prog metal. "Divided" reveals an enhanced power and an increased sophistication in comparison to their also excellent debut "Insights". It is clear that the four instrumentalists have achieved a tighter cohessiveness regarding the usual display of energy demanded by prog metal standards. It is also noticeable how well has the rhythm duo matured as a server of foundation for the other musicians: their augmented swing and groove (some of it provided by the stick instead of the bass) definitely help the guitar riffs and solos to shine in a special light, and the same goes for the keyboard textures, adronments and phrases polishedly delivered by Franck Faber. Lead vocalist Gregoor van der Loo has also shown improvement, mastering perfectly the various moods that the lyrics and melodies demand in unison with the musical motifs. Eerie cosmic synth layers and Arabic chanting serve the intro of 'Solilocide' before the whole band erupts wildly and fiercely. This amazing opener is followed by the even rougher 'Universal Roots', which somewhat follows in the footsteps of "Awake"-era Dream Theater but with no cloning. 'All of Me' brings more of the same, albeit bearing a more patent melodic vibe. 'Childhood facade' is the longest track in the album, one of the hghlights indeed. It comprises complex structures, fluid mood shifts and well-ordained tempo changes. The melancholy sections of this track portray a genuine reflective spirit, with van der Loo going really emotional for it. 'Lethe's Bow' is the other very long track, equalling 'Childhood Facade' in terms of power and complexity, yet focusing more on strength and less on melody. Van de Wouw and Tromp shine with a special luminiscence here, creating a solid nucleus for the overall track's electrifying majesty. This is another peak, and so is the title track, as well. The 'Divided' song incarnates better than other tracks the aura of enhanced sophistication that I mentioned earlier in this review. The inclusion of strong jazz-rock flavors in this track makes the band lean somewhat closer to a version of Gordian Knot- meets-classic Fates Warning. 'Parvedian Trust' is yet another metallic gem, this time with an added touch of industrial-inspired adornments: it's 5 minute long and its concise genius makes me wish it had been longer. 'When the Cradle Lies' is a stylish semi-ballad that may remind the listener of Vanden Plas to a ceratin degree. The instrumental 'New Yanini' (Van der Loo makes some humming in places) finds the band exploring their melodic side deeper, in a context more proper of ethnic-pop rock than prog metal. It surely adds variaety to the album, also giving room to Faber to expand on his clever use of textures and ambiences. You can see a 'Beat It' in the tracklist: yes, it is a cover of that Michale Jackson hit. It's nice and fun, combining poppish hard rock (in the pars more faithful to the original) and jazz in a playful manner. The closer is a Tromp solo on stick, 'Sticks in Space', which takes us mentally to the Tony Levin thing. It's a very captivating number, but it would have served better as an interlude in the middle of the album's repertoire than as a closure, really, but all in all, it is a very nice number. General conclusion: Lemur Voice said farewell with absolute dignity with this excellent opus "Divided" - a valuable item for any good prog metal collection.