FORGOTTEN SUNS

The second album of the Portuguese Prog-Rock band Forgotten Suns brings a new line-up and a new reocrd label, Progrock Records from USA. Eight new songs in over one hour. Progressive Metal is the main genre of "Innergy", a much heavier effort than the previous works, cohesive, mature, with a more careful production and a fuller and more powerful sound. A lot of melody is allied to the progressive contours and tends a little bit more to Hard Rock / Heavy Metal rather than the symphonic sound of previous albums. The band has its own style and sound but, nevertheless, some (new) influences by the likes of Fates Warning, Savatage, Evergrey, Dream Theater or Pain Of Salvation can be uncovered. It is not a masterpiece but, I would say with certainty, the future of Portuguese Progressive Metal goes through here.

Forgotten Suns are from Portugal and they offer a type of prog metal that in many places is melted with neo prog elements, sounding in the end like a metalized neo prog, very much if you combine Dream Theater with Arena for example you will got this band. Formed around mid 90s, they release so far only 4 albums, their second offer from 2004 named Snooze is considered their peak. THis is a conceptual double album clocking around 80 min and is to me a pleasent listen from start to finish. Nice vocal lines, quite strong keyboards and guitars, long elaborated passages, all is here for a great album, the originality lacks big time, but is not a big problem for me. They manage to combine mellow sections with more up tempo in pleasent and enjoyble manner, many parts remind me of DT around the best period the '90s. Even is a long ride, all pieces are more then ok, each one flows very nice one to other and the listner is conected to the music offered. Forte tracks let's say the opening Dreaming of reality, followed by Senses, Dream kille or Struggle. All in all a nice little album, quite unknown but I think worth investigated, one of the better bands from Portugal in last decades. For sure 3 stars rounded to 3.5, nice art work and all package.

This 2009 album was the first in five years for these Portuguese proggers, and saw a change not only in lead singer but also in their direction. When they first started these guys were heavily influenced by bands such as Marillion, but it is obvious that they have more recently been listening to Dream Theater and possibly Threshold which has meant that their music has become somewhat darker and heavier. Apparently in between 'Snooze' and 'Innergy' they opened for bands such as Fish, the Flower Kings and Pain of Salvation but if any of these now influences their musical style it is the last. This is prog metal that is on a roll ? it flies with an exuberance not often heard with many bands, and it pervades the album. This is a joy to listen to ? a real delight. Where there needs to be complexity it is there, melody always, but if there is a requirement for a simple crunching chord then these guys definitely deliver.

If you have heard the earlier albums, then all I can say is that while they were good works they didn't show just what these guys were capable of. There are still some longer numbers that allow the bands to spread their muscle, but with nothing above 13 minutes there are no real epics. If you enjoy your prog heavy and metallic, with loads of symphonic soaring vocals then this is for you. And if you don't think that you like prog, but listen to symphonic rock such as Therion then this album happily straddles the pigeonholes and is something that is definitely worth seeking out. www.progrockrercords.com

Yep, this is not bad metal at all. Actually, it's accessible, offering different sounds, elements, melodies (is there a opposite to melody ? I don't think so), not so much dissonant parts (fortunately) and others. Another important factor is something I understand generally as "being-innovative & yet interesting & yet not so weir", even being weird is good (is it ? sometimes yes). This music is not weird at all, it's metal, nothing shocking and sweet (the things that Moon Safari is blamed for) like Alias Eye, or even A.C.T. - this is normal prog metal. Umm, heavy prog ? Maybe their previous albums, I know just this one, but this is metal for sure. Important thing here is that it sounds "new". There are experimenting parts, where they venture to places (no man has gone before). And they get away with it quite easily, without problem.

4(+), this music flow quite easily, even there's nothing so big to be considered as masterpiece. And kids, remember to read Windhawk's review, it's has far more info than mine (I'm serious, I work with feelings, not facts)

FORGOTTEN SUNS are from Portugal and this their second record is a concept double album. I enjoy their sound, it's on the heavy side at times but considering this is a concept album the focus is mostly on the lyrics. The vocals are in English with an accent, actually I was reminded of Marco from SYLVAN many times. Lots of keyboards and prominant bass as well. Aparently the concept deals with this man who through his dreams ("Snooze") is able to deal with things from his past that still bother him.

"Dreaming Of Reality" opens with someone yelling out then the song kicks in with an uptempo melody. The tempo shifts quite often. Vocals 2 1/2 minutes in. It blends into "Senses" where we get some brief heaviness after 1 1/2 minutes. This is also an uptempo track. I like the synths when it settles after 6 minutes. It's heavy again 8 minutes in. "Strange Affair With The Night" is one of my favourites. It opens with keyboards and is a brighter track that makes me feel good. The guitar comes in as the sound gets fuller. Reserved vocals before 2 minutes. I like this, especially with the background synths. A tasteful guitar solo comes in before 7 1/2 minutes to the end of the song. "Dream Killer" is the almost 20 minute epic. Almost spoken vocals to open. It kicks in before a minute. I like the sound of the guitar 4 1/2 minutes in. A calm 7 minutes in with those almost spoken vocals again. Riffs before 13 minutes. An enjoyable bass, drum and guitar melody before 16 minutes and later at 18 minutes. "Floating Spirit" is a cool sounding song with synths,vocals and acoustic guitar. "Pay The Price" ends disc one. Synths to open followed by some heaviness. Vocals after a minute. It's an ok tune.

"Struggle" opens with these processed vocals (yikes). Fortunately it kicks in with some good guitar then bass 1 1/2 minutes in. Vocals and heavy drums follow. It settles with piano after 2 1/2 minutes. It stays fairly calm as guitar, bass and vocals come in. Then it kicks in before settling again. I like the soaring guitar 10 1/2 minutes in. "Death" features reserved vocals and piano throughout. "Angels' Embrace" opens with piano as vocals join in. This one is mellow like the last track. Great sound 3 1/2 minutes in. "A Truce" is a short piece with keyboards and vocals. "The Final Sentence" opens with strummed guitar as vocals join in. Haunting synths here. I really like this sound. It kicks in before 5 1/2 minutes with electric guitar. He reminds me of Marco a lot right here.

Lots to like here, but also (as with most double albums) there's a fair amount of music that's just ok.

Interesting production from this Portugese act, and a rather good one too.

Vintage prog metal is the foundation for the proceedings, and old Dream Theater fans will recognize the guitar sound used throughout this affair as well. To spice up this affair space-tinged moods are added in now and again, and even a few jazzy segments.

But the dominating aspect of this album are quickly evolving and changing compositions, where quirky riff structures go hand in hand with more atmospheric moments; and the mostly long numbers go from theme to theme in quick succession - revisiting them often enough to get familiar with the differeing moods and atmospheres but still giving the listener more than enough to pay attention too.

There's nothing highly original here though - this is vintage prog metal, albeit more challenging and intricate than most such productions go - but the craftmanship is solid, and as the band are more concerned in creating atmospheres than showcasing technical skills in the instrumental parts those not fond of endless shredding in their prog metal should ahve a good reason for checking out this affair.

As I've learned from other sources, FORGOTTEN SUNS used to be a pretty innovative and fresh-sounding band playing heavy prog/neo-prog. I've decided to begin with this one, and it left me disappointed. The problem is not that I don't hear heavy prog/neo prog here, the problem is that I don't hear FORGOTTEN SUNS here. It's almost perfect DREAM THEATER clone circa 94-99. I like those years, I like DT, but I prefer bands that have their own manner (even when taking inspiration in someone else's music), not just blatant copycats. I'll try to check early FS albums too, but this one is recommended for die-hard DT fans only

"Fiction Edge 1 (Ascent)" is the debut full-length studio album by Portugese progressive metal act Forgotten Suns. The album was released through Galileo records in July 2000. Forgotten Suns was formed by guitarist Ricardo Falcão in 1991 (some sources say 1996).

Forgotten Suns play some pretty standard 90/00s progressive metal, featuring guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals. There´s little here you haven´t heard before and as "Fiction Edge 1 (Ascent)" is packed in a sub par production job, it´s not exactly among the top albums of the genre. The songwriting is also without much passion and conviction, and the epic almost cinematic keyboard instrumentals make this quite the tedious listen. Opening instrumental track "Big Bang" is for example 6:31 minutes long, which is way too long for an intro track to an album. The tracklist is also a bit weird with four out of the opening five tracks being instrumentals. In fact it´s like the first seven tracks of the album are all just part of one long built up towards the 21:20 minutes long "A Journey".

The musicianship is slightly questionable and paired with the unremarkable compositions, and a sound production which is just above demo quality, Forgotten Suns do not exactly hit the ground running with "Fiction Edge 1 (Ascent)". A 2 - 2.5 star (45%) rating is warranted.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).

It took some four years for this Portuguese band to release their second album. They experienced several line-up changes/problems which explains partially this long gestation time.

While their first album was a mix between "Marillion" and some metal sounds, this one starts more in the vein of a band like "Arena". Neo, but on the heavy side. It opens with startling shout like Dave Vanian's one in "New Rose". This short and almost instrumental opener is a good introduction to this album and holds lots of elements which are going to be featured in this double CD set.

"Senes" is very a very melodic and dark song. Still inspired by "Arena", the chorus is catchy and melodic while the music is almost doom metal. The sound of the whole of this album is not very much diversified. Compositions are well crafted, there are some excellent and inspired guitar breaks but over eighty minutes of this treat is a bit too much.

Several tracks sound a bit of the same ("Strange Affair With The Night"). The most interesting song is of course "Dream Killer". An imposing epic which lasts for about twenty minutes, featuring plenty and heavy synthesizers. Very much in the "Dream Theater" style.

Killer riffs, powerful beat and more than anything, convincing vocals; but this was a strong point of the band. Linx is the name of the guy. He adds a definite value to the music performed by "Forgotten Suns". This fully DT oriented song indicates how mighty this band can be. "Dream Killer" is a good anthem of this genre (heavy prog) but thanks to the emotional vocals and soft passages, it is a very sophisticated piece of music which flows naturally well from start to finish. The highlight of course. Just lacking a great and bombastic finale maybe (like in "Moviedrome").

"Pay The Price" closes the first CD on a good note. It combines again strong melodic vocal lines with some heavy bass and guitar. It is a typical archetype of good prog (heavy) metal song.

The second CD starts almost like "Bohemian Rhapsody" (!) and also belongs to the best of this album. This song is more on the melodic side and could be related with the "Ayreon" style. It presents some nice interplay between sophisticated guitar breaks, light vocal passages and very subtle keyboards. It is definitely on par with "Dream Killer". It is probably the more symphonic of their songs and therefore one of my fave from their two albums.

The second CD is much more joyful than the first one. Angel's Embrace is a neo-prog ballad which is rather poignant and it conveys a wonderful and optimistic feeling. Again, the superb guitar solo deserves to be investigated.

The band would have been inspired to get rid of the three very short tracks to allow "snooze" to fit on one CD. Neither "Floating Spirit Dimension", "Death" nor "A Truce" bring additional value of the whole of this good work. The closing number also sounds weaker to my ears. The final Sentence is on the mellow side. It takes over five minutes to be interesting.

According to their web site, the band is now finalizing the pre-production of their third album (with a new lead singer) and some touring dates are already planned for 2008. So, this band will go on for some time. One of the few to hold the Portuguese flag.

This is a good album. Two excellent long songs (over thirty-three minutes), and several good ones would deserve seven out of ten. Three stars.

It must be rather challenging to start a rock band in Portugal. And the merit of "Forgotten Suns" is only reinforced by this.

Strangely enough, the opening track featured some spoken lyrics in .French which plunges the listener into the very start of the creation. But you could also say that it sounds as the end of the world. Scary and dark.

The band has shifted through neo to eclectic to finally end up in the "heavy-prog" genre on PA. The band openly speak about metal influence on their web-site (which is closer to reality). So, it's up to you to decide...

This album is a concept one about the creation and development of our planet and is mostly instrumental. It flirts between metal ("Creation Point"), spacey ("Nature") and even light music ("Child" illustrating "birth").

Since it is a conceptual work, there are several short transition tracks which are not really captivating. The album almost starts with "Wartime". One can appreciated the passion in the voice of "Linx" (their lead vocalist) but this number sounds a bit chaotic, difficult to follow.

The central piece of this album is the twenty-one minutes epic: "A Journey". This complex number has definite reminiscence with "Dream Theater" ("A Change Of Seasons") but not only. The extensive use of keyboards convey a true prog sense to their music. But the mood is not on the joyful side. The atmosphere is rather dark and pessimistic.

I think that it is difficult for an almost instrumental record to illustrate such a wide concept as the creation of Mother Earth. There are so many great ideas that could have been developed lyrics-wise than I am somewhat disillusioned with "Fiction Edge".

This epic sounds directionless and can't really captivate myself during the whole of its length. It sounds a bit as a long track for the purpose of making it long. The final part of the song having been used several times already (mixing famous phrases like "I Had a dream" or "It's a small step for man but a giant leap for mankind" etc.

The best track from this offering is "Routine". Some "Marillion" flavours but more than anything very emotive vocals are probably the ingredients that were necessary to get a highlight on this album. And it is really day and night with the rest of the songs. The most delicate piece of music by far.

The same Marillion influence can be heard in the closing number Betrayed. The guitar solo is particularly well crafted. Of course, if the whole album would have sounded like the last numbers I would have rated higher but the band could have been acused of being just another Marillion. Difficult choice...

Two stars because even if the musicians are very good, it lacks in great numbers (only two actually).