HERITAGE

This album starts off okay, then makes itself irrelevant for large swaths, beginning with the highly disjointed acoustic outro to the HORRIBLE "Slither". The band seems to think that substituting destinationless guitar noodling and spooky atmospheric sounds is a valid substitute for musical structure and melody. The lyrics as sung seem an afterthought.

Overall this album wears its influences on its sleeve a little too prominently, and it's strikingly obvious that one of their primary criteria for this album was that it NOT be metal, and as a result, something is missing.

I can't say that Heritage isn't a daring move for such an established band, but effort and intent does not equal results, and the result here is poor. If I want to listen to a band do 70s prog, I'll listen to a 70s band do prog, and not a band who has essentially helped create an entire genre that ISN'T 70s prog.

Big swing and a miss.