PLAYING DEAD

This is the latest studio album from CITIZEN CAIN although a new release is apparently just around the corner.There's a new guitarist on "Playing Dead" which helps make this sound somewhat different from earlier releases especially since there is often this metalic tone to his guitar. The cover art has me asking "What were they thinking !".

"Fallen Angels" opens with atmosphere along with these powerful background sounds. A beat a minute in with some heaviness. A cool way to start and my favourite track. "Children Of Fire" features vocals and a laid back sound 30 seconds in. Man he sounds like Gabriel here. It gets a little fuller with guitar. Some heavier guitar 4 1/2 minutes in when the vocals stop. Piano a minute later as different sounds come and go.Vocals are back 7 1/2 minutes in. A calm before 10 1/2 minutes but it doesn't last long. Prominant guitar late. "Shades" opens with drums then it kicks in quickly. A calm after a minute. Piano a minute later and vocals after 2 1/2 minutes. It kicks in late to end it.

"Falling From Sephiroth" opens with synths as some heavy outbursts come and go.Vocals before 2 minutes then it kicks in a minute later. Nice.The tempo and mood continue to shift. "Rivers Of Twilight" is uptempo and bombastic to start then it settles in with reserved vocals. Piano too then it kicks back in around 3 1/2 minutes. It settles once more with vocals before 5 minutes. "Inner Silence" has these experimental noises with drums. It kicks in for the final minute. "Wandering In Darkness" opens in a bombastic manner some good bass follows.Vocals after 1 1/2 minutes in this uptempo tune. It settles back before 4 minutes. I like when it kicks in as we get a good instrumental section.Vocals do return though. "Sleeping In Penumbra" opens with piano and vocals and it gets fuller before a minute.The tempo proceeds to change. A powerful section before 7 minutes then it settles back. "Eternity" opens with reserved vocals and keys and that's pretty much what we get throughout.

A good album but like all their others (except for "Somewhere But Yesterday") it doesn't deserve 4 stars. The guitar and vocals get on my nerves on this album after a while.