SHADOWLANDS

I recently did the review on The Inconsolable Secret by this band and stated there that that was my favourite album by them. This one however has a much higher average on progarchives so I will at least have some explaining to do.

To begin with I found out not everyone shares my opinion about the Knight disk of T I S which in my believe is the best composing performance ever by GH. I miss an effort like that on this release. This doesn't mean of course that this is a poor or average album, in fact it's almost as good as T I S but it's about details if I have to explain the preference. If I compare the longest epic on this CD Behind the Great Beyond with Knight of the North I think BtGB is far less impressive as a true epic. It's all a bit mellow and I miss the spark I felt with KotN. This doesn't make BtGB a disappointing song, it's just slightly less. Same goes for the first two songs of this album. They are really great but I like A Maker of Crowns just some more. I think So close so far is a very good composition and Run Lisette already impressed me a few years ago when I downloaded it from progarchives. The vocals in this song are amazingly performed by Susie Bogdanowicz, Sarah Snyder and Walter Moore. It even becomes a bit vertiginous at a certain point where the three vocalists keep taking turns. But that's meant in a very positive way. I think it's very imposing. Farewell to Shadowlands is a nice track but not the best of the album. Next is a cover of Dan Fogelberg's Longer. I keep saying it, I don't appreciate covers too much although it makes some difference if it's a cheap cover we're talking about (and then I mean a 100% cover without own interpretation) or if we're dealing with a total new song like in this case. It's very well done in this case but I will always prefer own compositions. Last on the list is the already described Behind the Great Beyond finishing this album in great style.

What I was trying to say is that comparing this with it's successor it is not a matter of black and white judgement but in the end I have just a small preference for Inconsolable Secret. But in star rating it will make no difference.