THE DREAMS OF MEN

I just got done listening to this album and I have to say that I really wasn't impressed. I will admit that I picked this album up on a whim: as a fan of neo-prog, I was aware of these guys and thought I'd take a chance. Well, looks like it wasn't the best choice. The album gets off to a good enough start with "The Bringer of Dreams" and "Warriors," but after that, things go downhill in a hurry. IMO, there is a difference between "dark" and downright depressing. Most of the music on this album fits into the latter category. Everything on the album centers around the evils of humanity, and frankly, that loses its appeal quickly. I watch the news and read the paper, so I'm aware that we don't live in anything close to a perfect world. Still, I don't feel like I need to be reminded of that when I'm listening to a CD. The musicianship on the album also doesn't do anything for me. Much of it comes off as cut-rate Dream Theater, lacking the edge or jaw-dropping virtuosity. I'm not sure if this is par for the course when it comes to Pallas, but I am not too motivated to check out any of their other albums at this point.