ODYSSEY - THE GREATEST TALE

ODYSSEY - THE GREATEST TALE is a brilliantly designed concept-boxset with a huge, feature-rich booklet. The 3 CDs containing 9 longtracks (9 chapters) of the -wellknown- greek saga, every song is far beyond the 20 minutes border !!!

Is this a good or bad sign for a CD ?....well, let's see...

CD1:

...to my own surprise, the whole first CD is a winner from beginning to the end. All 3 songs are outstanding, with great musicianship. highly enjoyable stuff....simply mindblowing after first listening ! Masterpieces! Nothing more to say, you have to listen yourself.

CD2:

With the first song of CD2 comes a little break. XII ALFONSO's song is very strange in the beginning, it cannot hold the high-standards of CD1, but is getting better to the end The endpart is very nice. Overall a solid work, but it can be better.

Second song from SIMON SAYS is much better overall. A great band from Sweden!

Third song from CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE is very complex structured, featuring brilliant keyboard-sounds. This song is getting better and better 'til the end... For me, the best song on this CD.

CD3:

First song from TEMPANO has great complexity and marvelous keyboard parts. (I must buy more from this guys next time. A very interresting band)

Second song from MINIMUM VITAL is a very melodic one, great hooklines, easy, catchy, also quitting in a great endpart.

Last song on this boxset (...and my personal favourite) comes from brazilian band AETHER. A simply amazing song with great melodies, wonderful guitar-work and cool basslines. The song is recorded perfectly in reference-class soundquality ! AETHER once again reaching highest prog-standards...a MASTERPIECE Waiting for their next studio-album. I'm curious about it. Don't let me wait too long, Alberto. Please! ;-)

Like CD1, all songs of CD3 are fitting perfectly together. The "funfactor" is positive !

Bottom line:

Bombastic 220 minutes of great progmusic. This is MUSEA's best output in 2005. (Maybe their best output altogether...) A MUST HAVE - BUY OR DIE !!!

CD1-RATING: 5 STARS CD2-RATING: 4 STARS CD3-RATING: 5 STARS

OVERALL-RATING: 5 STARS