IMAGINE

Stride is one of the prog metal bands that I liked since the beggining I've heared the first note of this album. This is the type of prog metal I like, is complex with solid musicianship, has plenty of rich instrumental passages and above all a great voice. This is their third album and the latest to date named Imagine from 2005. What a pleasent surprise was this album in 2005 for me and still is after so many years, kick ass al the way. The album has 9 pieces , 2 of them entirely instrumental Endeavor To Persevere and Ion drive, what great tracks, energic progressive metal with great arrangements, killer guitar chops and awesome druming, excellent. The rest are with voice and the voice of Gary Belin is brilliant and fits in this kind of music like glove on hand, melodic and in same time little harsh in his tone of voice, I realy like it. The music is complex with many twists and turns, even the pieces are not very lenghty all are under 7 min, but the passages and arrangements are very rich , each instrument done a great work, for instance on the opening track Imagine, the guitar is simply killer, Joel Gregoire manage to do some of the most intristing solos I've heared on a prog metal album for years, the keybords dueling very eficient with the guitar. So, one of the most enjoyble prog metal albums I've heared so far and a special place in my collection, still quite unknown to larger public in comparation with other names. Recommended, very solid album with intristing compostions. 4 stars easy.