THE ? BOOK

Sometimes being a lover of lyrics can really be a downer. I can't help myself, though. I really cannot absorb an album unless I also absorb the lyrical content, and that lyrical content can even ruin an album for me. I'm sorry to say that Seven Steps to the Green Door's "The Book" is one such album, though I still love the music.

Seven Steps to the Green Door is a German group full of talented musicians and eclectic ideas. The band is classified as neo-prog here, but they shift from style to style seamlessly, so I don't think any genre would be able to keep them. Yes, we get neo-prog, but we also get metal, alternative, and wonderful ballads. The band utilizes an incredible drummer to keep the music intense, but also a diverse range of guitar work, from riffing to finger work. The band overall has a personality and funkiness that is so attractive and absorbing. It's quite impressive. In fact, I'd call this music daring, and they experiment and explore freely.

One of the best parts of the music is the presence of Marek Arnold and his array of keys and sax. Seriously, anything this guys plays on is pure gold. From his jazzy sax to his ethereal keys atmospheres to his incredible solos and leads, Marek really carries the melody on this album. The incredible interplay between proggy keys and metal is especially enjoyable for me.

Like I said, though, the lyrical content is a bit of a letdown for me. Now, this band is daring, as I said. The concept is ambitious and well-written, and very complex, too. It involves a man being locked in a room with six doors. He simply needs to escape the room, and he relies solely on his faith in God to do so. Long story short, he realizes through his experiences behind those doors that he needs to trust himself to escape the room, and, when he discovers this, he finds a seventh door (a green one, obviously) that leads him to his lover and to true divinity (love). I've heard all this nonsense before in a myriad of other forms, and it irks me to no end with its shallowness that masquerades as depth and truth. Reality is far more complicated than just trusting yourself for everything and leaving thousands of years of ancient wisdom behind you. It's foolish and arrogant, to be honest.

Okay, I'm done. This is an excellent album musically, and I will listen to it often for years to come. However, I felt I must mention my issues with the lyrics, and I hope that it has at least inspired you to give the album and lyrics a try, too.