TAKE A LOOK: 2010 A.D.

"take a look: 2010 A.D." is the 2nd full-length studio album by Russian progressive metal act Agnost Dei. The album was self-released in October 2010. The band are currently looking for a label to release the album. Since the release of "A Place, Where is No Time (2007)" the band have added lead vocalist NicKK (Nikita Gaydukov) to the lineup. The album contains 11 tracks. 3 of the tracks make up the "Songs of the Dying Stars: The Tree of Life" suite, which was released as an EP earlier in 2010, but the rest are new tracks exclusive to "take a look: 2010 A.D.".

The music on the album is progressive metal with a futuristic touch. The addition of lead vocalist NicKK to the ranks, gives the band a slightly less unique vocal sound compared to the sound on "A Place, Where is No Time (2007)", but his more "regular" vocal style will probably earn the band more fans. Another change since the debut is that the lyrics on "take a look: 2010 A.D." are in English. Personally I really appreciate the Russian language vocals on the debut but if the band are to succeed further down the line it´s a sensible choice. The music is to my ears very influenced by Dream Theater and their ilk, but the band add their own futuristic touch to the sound and ultimately I think the outcome is pretty unique. The musicianship are excellent on the album, but not only that, the way these songs are composed proves that the band are also skilled composers. The sound production is well crafted and suits the music well.

"take a look: 2010 A.D." is quite a different album compared to how "A Place, Where is No Time (2007)" sounded, but it´s obvious that the band have honed their skills as songwriters and musicians in the years between the two albums. I won´t say neither is the better album though, because both are strong releases in their own right. I think it´s admirable that a band are able to change their sound as much as Agnost Dei have done without losing their identity in the process. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.