DIGITAL GHOSTS

Why continue on? In the four years between Room V and this, their lead vocalist Mike Baker died. Instead of calling quits like any mediocre band with respect would, they decide to continue on, and who do they enlist to replace poor Baker? Some shmuck by the name of Brian Ashland, who sounds like your typical power metal yelper, which means he sounds strong and bold, but has absolutely no emotion in his voice. It can't be tender or resonant, just blood-pumping, and that's when the band decides to back him properly, but like with the opener 'With Honor', the band is still going through the same soft-hard predictable motions. Now there's a little more verve to the forced diversity, and they make sure to beat that harmonizing horse until it's a rotting carcass. The band can still rock pretty hard, which is what I liked about 'Venom'. It doesn't go anywhere, and the songwriting has taken a real hit, but at least the new guy fits better into their power prog approach, unless he's making an absolute fool of himself, sounding like a goddamn teenage mutant ninja turtle. Kowabunga, dude! I like flute playing, sure I do. But you'd think if they're going to use them, they'd do the instrument judgement. With 'Two Shadows' the flute accompaniment might as well not have existed. It's your typical 'emotive' (by that I mean gimmicky) ballad. Again, I can't fault their playing ability ? it's decent enough, but they, even after the dissolution of the band's peak, have still yet to figure in subtlety and excitement into their concoction.

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