MOMENTS

Sophomore release from this unique German progressive metal band; "Moments" is considered as their best album by the few that have delved into their discography. In short, "Moments" picks up where the self-tilted debut concluded.

For those unfamiliar with Soul Cages' sound, expect a kind of an art rock / progressive metal blend with strong German-accented vocals (one of the potential low points in their music if you are that picky). The progressive metal they play I consider as innovative, influenced by late 80's Fates Warning and Sieges Even, but what defines their sound is the simultaneous use of distorted and clean guitars that creates a series of textures and distinguishes them from the masses. The female vocals are once again used with caution, injecting the magic when not expected, ultimately contributing massively to SC's very melodic character.

The first half of the album is more or less a continuation of "Soul Cages" with three long, mid-tempo and beautifully laid out compositions; this type of songwriting I see as equal to the first epics of Shadow Gallery that set the scene of the progressive metal to come in the 90's and beyond. There is limited use of keyboards; on the contrary what creates the atmospheres is the combination of clean/distorted guitars. The first half - and most interesting part of this album - concludes with an "arpeggio" that lasts about a minute, while the three tracks that open the album are among the best in SC's career, with 'Moments' summing up the qualities of the band.

Side two begins and ends with tracks on a more dynamic power/progressive metal pattern; while still at mid-tempo, the focus here is on the delivery of riffs and pounding drums, with the occasional melodic intervals. 'In our Hands' is potentially the weakest track of the album, but even there, the grandiose ending with the use of early Fates Warning/Iron Maiden riffology leaves a positive mark. 'My Spiritual Home' is another example of German power/prog metal in the vein of Sanvoisen and Vanden Plas, with the latter getting all the glory that the other two never enjoyed. 'Elegy' is the high point in side two, where SC find the balance between melody and virtuosity, similar to side one. 'Impressions' is the purely acoustic track of the album, a repeat of the pattern in 'Mindtrip' from their debut album, that works just as fine: simple, deep melodies with male and female vocals interchanging.

"Moments" has been the last of the three albums in SC's discography that I discovered and does not disappoint. Although I would still consider their debut as their best effort, there are Moments of true brilliance here that reminds us how sometimes excellent music does not get the recognition that it deserves. Another 4 stars in a discography that has never gone wrong.