THE GOD THING

Here we have a metal band with tiny prog influences... the album is not bad but it's not good either... the vocals sound awfully like Scorpions (the german accent), the keyboards are too cold (as are all digitally processed keyboards)... so ? except if your a metal head from germany who likes Rainbow meets Scorpions (70's era) meets Dream Theater (the neo prog metal temptation) you shouldn' bother about this class Z band...

Vanden Plas in my opinion is the leading progressive metal force in Germany right now. The God Thing is the band's third studio album. The main influences for this album are definately progressive metal legends like Dream Theater and Rush mixed with the occasional Blind Guardian power metal.

The album starts off with the insturmental track "Fire Blossom". A very impressive opener, this song is the genreal style of this band. The guitar playing is very arpeggio based, the keyboards have a relentless cold atmosphere, the bass plays very catchy rythmn lines. I see Tortsen Reichart (bass) as one of the most involved members of this band's sound.

The most amazing song on the album is the second track "The Rainmaker". The track shows the amazing potential this band has. The song stucture used throughout the album is constantly in flux. Another track that shows the creativity of the band is "Crown of Thorns". The track opens with soft orchestral backing of Andy Kuntz dramatic vocals and finishes with an awe inspiring grandiose outro.

The production of this album lacks innovation. The tones sound pretty much the same as Mark Prator's on Dream Theater's images and words. The production is a pleasure to listen to, but it lacks originality. This album is truly only made creative by the band's musicians, not the band's producer.

Wow! Just spun this again for the umpteenth time. This CD just does not get old. What power and emotion! I can say that this CD is the reason I bought all other releases by these guys.

Each song was crafted in the Prog Metal fashion. Not over-the-top musician chops, but there is absolutely no reason for it. The best musicians know that it's not so much what you play, but what you don't play. A constant wall of musician dexterity being thrown at the listener throughout an entire CD gets old quick. Not that there is none, but placement is chosen wisely.

This CD has so many highlights, it's hard to pick just one. A real grabber for me is the transition from Fire Blossom into Rainmaker where the former is an instrumental intro which nicely sets the tone for the CD. Another highlight is Crown of Thorns, moving from a quiet ballad then rising to the occaasion with a strong build into the explosion of vocals and guitar. Another highlight is definitely Salt in My Wounds. Andy Kuntz really shines on this one with his gutteral emotion flowing, fitting the lyrics with perfection, and bending notes with the same talent as some of the best blues singers, even though his vocal tone lends itself to the genre this band sits.

If you are a fan of Prog Melodic Metal, this is a real gem. I highly recommend supporting the band and picking it up.

This is my favourite from Vanden Plas along with the great and emotional album that is Far Off Grace. Crown of thorns is the highlight here. Great musicians, Gunter Werno one of the biggest key player in the last 10 years. That's why, his invited as a guest in some top bands around, like Kamelot, Elegy, etc. But my fav is the guitarist Stephan Lill along with his brother they did a very good job. In the end Vanden Plas is one of the leading progressive metal force. Excellent addition to any prog music collection, in my opinion.

Without doubt this is one of the most elegant works from Vanden Plas. The Dream Theater's influences are there, in each song, in each note, but they never are copy from the american prog-metal masters. The searching for an own sound begins here, is an important characteristic in this recording. Besides this one is more progressive than the first album, but the melodic sense of their music is there yet. "the god thing" is a good combination of progression and melody, strong and subtility, it was a change inside of evolution of the band. A work to consider in the career of this wonderful German act!!!.

By: Epsilon

ELEGANT VISION OF GOD!!!

3 years after the first release of the band, these five top musicians from Germany bring us one of their greatest albums. The god thing, it's a lesson of how to make a record that can combine melody, style and sophistication with a great dose of well distributed musical arguments.

It's an album that lyrically puts the discussion about the dogmatic beliefs on today's world and how we live with those contradictions daily (I think that VANDEN PLAS was very brave for suggesting this kind of topic, because it's not easy to talk about them, at least I see it in that way). Musically, the band plays alternating strong melodies and really inspired soft and calm music moments here and there. It's very hard to choose only one song among all, because each song complements to other and like this until ending the record.

Individually?, mmm... well, it's impossible to stand out only one musician of the five because each one of them make a brilliant work during all the album, but I liked the atmospheres created by Mr. Werno on keyboards and specially the rhythm section work (by Mr. Reichert on bass and Mr. Lill on drums).

I just have to say... great work!!!.

By: Epsilon.

Without a doubt this is my favourite VANDEN PLAS record. There are no ballads on this one although there are mellow passages which are used to great effect in contrast to the heavy sections.This album has some great atmosphere to it, as well a ton of heaviness.They do not compromise on this record or pull any punches and I love it. Of course your reading words from a guy who's favourite DREAM THEATER album is "Train Of Thought". The liner notes are filled with some great pictures of the band including Portnoy and Pertucci. By the way VANDEN PLAS say "hi" to ANGRA and TIME MACHINE among others.

"Fire Blossom" is the 3 minute intstrumental intro track. Piano and bass stand out early before synths and drums join in. The low end guitar sounds great, quite powerful. Piano returns, then back to the heavy soundscape. It ends with thunder as it blends into "Rainmaker" where we can hear the rain falling hard. Check out the guitar melody as heavy riffs and killer bass comes in. Very powerful sound. Vocals and a calm after 1 1/2 minutes. It kicks back in and the bass is huge ! Ripping guitar solo before 5 minutes. Amazing song, one of their best ever. "Garden Of Stones" is about a literal place in the south of Crete where Andy has visited many times and experienced positive things as a result. A piano intro as fragile vocals join in. It stays mellow until an explosion of sound after 2 minutes. Here come the riffs a minute later. Check out the crunchy riffs 6 minutes in ! This one smokes !

"In You : I Believe" is heavy with synths. Lyrically it's like a prayer. The guitar is all over this one. "Die I Die" opens with background synths, gentle guitar and reserved vocals.It kicks in around a minute. Nice. This contrast continues.It gets even heavier 5 1/2 minutes in with intense vocals. "Crown Of Thorns" opens with piano as mellow vocals come in. Cello after 3 minutes then it starts to pick up 3 1/2 minutes in. Here we go ! The highlight is the guitar solo 5 minutes in that goes on and on as drums pound away. "We're Not God" opens with what sounds like the twin guitar attack of JUDAS PRIEST. Lots of crunch in this one. Synths before 4 minutes as the guitar driven heaviness continues. Great guitar before 5 1/2 minutes. Love the vocals too. Some complexity on this one.

As good as all these songs have been the last two tracks are the best. "Salt In My Wounds" is the heaviest track yet. Just a monster sound with background synths.The verses are calmer with piano, but the chorus is slow and very heavy. "You Fly" is a hymn and dedication to Andy's Grandfather who passed away. He tells a touching story about him in the liner notes.The piano intro is run over quickly by a dark and heavy wall of sound. Vocals and a calm come in but they're brief. The contrast continues though. Killer guitar solo after 3 minutes. Very heavy riffs a minute later. Amazing sound. When it settles down there is this powerful undercurrent of sound. Emotional track.

This is my kind of music. And how awesome would "The God Thing" sound live.

...Vanden Plas' first "proper" album for me - their debut was straight ahead metal which didnt really appeal to me. with the weirdly titled "The God Thing", we also get a weird cover with "the thing" but some really great music.

this was the second album i heard of VP after "Beyond Daylight" (actually, only a few songs off the album) and it goes something like this:

"Fire Blossom" - 2:55: quick and short opener, interesting as a set up to...7/10

"Rainmaker" - 6:39: catchy tune, nice riffing, shows the band trying something which is, at the same time, pure metal (as with their first album) and prgressive/ melodic. its a very good build up to their first prog-metal album...8/10

"Garden of Stones" - 7:47: starts quite slowly, with some interesting vocal interplay by Andy but the meat is in the second half, starting off with a mesmerising riff that would go on to be something of a Stephan Lill trademark...10/10

"In You: I Believe" - 4:29: kind of mid-tempo, a breather after that pounding-riff above. nice vocals, good cohesion of guitar/ keyboards...7/10

"Day I Die" - 6:04: Andy sounds a little strained on this, maybe purposely trying something different. but he gets it back with the ad-libbing outro...7/10

"Crown of Thorns" - 6:44: half piano/strings ballad, half pounding, chugging riff, i love the way VP steps up the tempo mid-way and then explodes into a final run towards the end...8/10

"We're Not God" - 7:12: amazing chorus, good solo...kind of the theme song of the album, i guess. one of my favourites...9/10

"Salt in My Wounds" - 7:21: VP really start to mix it up here. this one has a dose of lots of different things they would use again later...8/10

"You Fly" - 7:31: what a way to sign off the album. another one of my favourites, i especially like the slow beginning, the soft/( taunting?) middle and the outro riff + andy ad-libbing towards the end...10/10

overall, a good strong album. i would even go as far as saying one of their best but then, i'd probably say that about all their albums depending on which one i'm listening to. Vanden Plas is definitely in my top 5 favourite bands...