TRANSCENDENCE

Not a progressive album, but a power metal album with progressive elements, this one is among the best albums to imerge from this genre ever(probably the best along helloween's keeper of the seven keys 2, yet quite different). Not as creepy as in the first album but reinforced with amazing songs, the band's second album stands as a real treasure of music. Fast solos are replaced with faster(and better) ones (the solo of Eternal World is the fastest one I have ever heard), the vocals are still higher than possible but more mature in a way. Aggresion, epic feeling, it's all here. There are also more melodic songs like Burning Bridges, the dreamy Transendence, Lonely, and the amazing, breathtaking ballad Painted Skies, but there are really no highlights in this album, as all songs are over every standard than anyone has set in this genre. It's a shame that this band is not that popular among metal fans, as it is one of the bands that defined the standards of the power metal music in the USA and the whole world.