A NEW BEGINNING

Don't let the Appearance Of Nothing distract you from hearing A New Beginning, because, despite such deception, there's a lot to be enjoyed from one of Switzerland's few progressive metal bands. I've decided to adopt a policy of responding to stupid band names with stupid puns, and I won't stop until they do. Appearance Of Nothing plays straightforward melodic progressive metal that's heavy on the melodic. The band has been around for about ten years, and this is their third album. For fans of their first two albums, as well as fans of the more accessible forms of progressive metal, this is a very strong release.

Expect synth and guitar heavy music. Every song is carried by crunchy rhythm guitars, and I'm happy to report that the recording and production is spot on to allow them to really shine. As far as distinct strengths of the album: look no further the choruses. Every single one, particularly on the daunting 14 minute title track, is remarkably catchy. This memorability, along with the consistently driving pace of the album, makes it a very easy and enjoyable listen. The lead vocal performance is also pretty great, and the songwriting even manages to accommodate interspersed harsh vocals. Usually throwing harsh vocals into melodic prog is a quick turn-off for me, but I applaud Appearance Of Nothing for pulling it off.

Where drawbacks are concerned, I can't point to any specific "problems", but there are a few minor disappointments. For a pretty heavy synth presence, strong vocals, and ample songwriting diversity, I was disappointed with the overall atmosphere of the album. While the songs were certainly strong, they lacked a unique identity. This isn't so much a drawback as it is lost potential for a band that's got everything else they need to be really, really good.

Certainly check out the single "Chains Of History", as well as the title track. As common to great progressive music, it's often that the longest song ought to be the best, and that's certainly true here with the title track. I again applaud solid work from the studio to draw out a powerful performance so that it actually sounds powerful. Where technically proficient progressive metal meets great melodies and an excellent performance, you can't go wrong.

4.0 // 5

Originally posted at www.blackwindmetal.com