BOOK OF THE DEAD

Based on the the lineup, this is a bit of a dissapointment. Everything is well played, Holdsworth is Holdsworth, but the compositions are just simply nothing special. I can't pin point any plagerism or blatant tributes, but it all sounds like I've heard it before. The album seems pretty homogenous is style and sound. Still, as I said, the performances are quite good and it is one of (maybe THE one?) Shaun Guerin's last performances before he passed away, so it does have some value. And I've heard MUCH worse prog albums that were touted as masterpieces. So while it is not a masterpiece, it isn't exactly a waste of time either. I would say to anyone curious, seek out samples or whole songs and listen before buying. Had I heard some of the material before buying I might not have purchased this. Because of the overall quality I am giving it 3 stars, but it could just as easily be 2 stars (say 2 1/2, rounding up because of the overall quality).