ALL THAT I NEED TO SURVIVE

An intriguing collection of progressive metal songs from a band on the rise. Shades of Dream Theatre, with a little Rush and Opeth thrown in for good measure. The CD requires a couple of spins for the music to click, but once it does, it sticks! "Evolve Or Dissolve" offers the listener a brief, startlingly simple, respite from dense, relentless, driving beat of "Minding The Hourglass", "6", "The New Way Of Thinking", and "Hold On To Your Dreams" (a suite???). "The New Way Of Thinking", in particular, really rocks, especially live. As you begin to savor the simplicity of "Evolve Or Dissolve", the band hits you with the powerful "In The Here And Now". The last song on the CD, "Rainbands", seems to suggest a more progressive (and less metal?) direction for the band in the future. I think the double bass drum mix is a little too heavy, and the vocals could be mixed up a little, but overall, a solid first outing.

Look for great things from this band...

Rock On!