VEIL OF IMAGINATION

Before I listened to this I was sure that Devin Townsend's emphatic Empath was my AOY, but this is an absolute masterpiece of prog composed by this Boston group. The album does such a great job of taking you up and down its climactic journeys and every Resolution is more tasty than the last. Muller's drums are stunning throughout, and Evan's voice is immaculate and a real high point of the album.

The way I'll score songs will be: <5 min: /5, 5-10: /7, 10+: /10. I might change this to give epics more weight in the future, but for now this will do.

The Unimaginable Zero Summer kicks off the album and in 3 minutes builds all the way from dramatic poetry reading to a charging riff that keeps coming back throughout the album without ever getting old. This song absolutely kicks ass leading up to an incredible moment at 8:40 that you'll find yourself excited for every time you listen to the song. We're then remembered of the songs humble beginning themes. Throughout these parts the chorus gives every line so much depth which definitely elevates the piece. We have another build into the main theme, and then the listeners are allowed to breathe as the song begins to end peacefully. 9.5/10

We lead right right in O Resolution! which gives us right off the bat a climax reminiscent of the one the song before but in a different key with a deeper, darker texture. We're greated by deep viking-esque vocals that continue the dark theme until dispelled by the beautiful clean voice of Evan in one of his greatest vocal lines on the album. The juxtaposition of the light and dark on this song is part of what makes it so fantastic. 7/7

Sleeping Ambassadors of the Sun begins thunderously and descends into orchestral fluttering. Piano guides Evan's clean voice in another album highlight. Then the guitar enters with majestic growls before we get to revisit the melody with guitar leading Evan this time and its even better. The dynamics of this song continue to amaze as the band transitions so frequently, and never are the transitions awkward for the listener but seem so natural. 6/7

Scentless Core (Budding) is a slow build, from the theme of sleeping ambassadors leading into an epic climax like the two that have come before it but with dancing piano adding to the majesty this time. 5/5

The piano leads right into the melody of Far from Where Dreams Unfurl, the catchiest tune on the album and one where Evan's voice really shines yet again. This song really relies on the chorus is the most poppy out anything else on this album, although the breakdown at 2:10 takes the song in an unexpected direction and is a very nice moment with great vocals again. We have another build at the start of minute 4 that ends beautifully and the chorus really brings everything together here again. The guitar comes in at just the right time to give the noise direction. 5/7

Another peaceful interlude before the finale, Scentless Core (fading) starts with a great duet between piano and acoustic guitar. Evan replaces the piano before being joined by orchestral backing and shows his diversity. The eruption of the guitar here and the thunderous drums that accompany break the calm nicely. At 3:30 the chord progression shifts beautifully and is one of my favorite points in the album. 6.5/7

The Tyranny of Imagination starts off hitting hard, leading into a nice chunky riff. Growls and clean vocals trade off parts nicely, but while these parts are nice they aren't necessarily memorable. The breakdown here is fantastic, and the listener is engaged - things are definitely happening here! We're starting to get some resolution at 3:40 but a note of dissonance at the top register keeps us on our toes. We come back to the growling sections, but as the melody climbs we start to get some piano at 7:10 providing a beautiful moment. 8/10

When the Fire and the Rose Were One is a fantastic closer to the album. The piano leads yet another beautiful section of clean vocals that builds as instruments continue to add themselves to the fray. There's a moment where there is a nice call and response moment with the piano that just goes to show the detail of composition this album has throughout. At 3 minutes the guitar is all that is left as the build begins in earnest. The drums begin to pound and we have one of the more epic moments in music as the main theme is resurrected triumphantly. The chorus and orchestra keep the moment as the lead drops from that beautiful top register. 5:20 begins an incredible ostinato section that gets more piercing and epic as the instrumentation builds around it. The chorus again provides that extra depth that really brings everything home. This song is an epic culmination to a series of mountains and valleys that are each one somehow better than the last. 10/10

Definitely 5 stars for this masterpiece and my Album of the Year : 56/62