A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

And a very different one too... Far from the mastodontic offering of the previous album, wich was an hour single song, A Blessing in Disguise is a very decent collection of shorter tracks, moving between gothic sounds (Writings in the Wall, As Life Flows by...), some 70's prog influences (Lullaby in Winter...), and hard tracks with a good stoner rock (Crushed to Dust, Myron and Cole...) feeling. Of course, this album is more commercial and more friendly than its predecessor.

In the longer tracks the style of Light of Day, Day of Darkness comes again. Specially in Lullaby in Winter, where the acoustic guitars are similar, the double pedal part in A Boy in the Attic, and the final part of Rain, wich could habe perfectly been in this masterpiece... Two Seconds in Life, a track with some Porcupine Tree's influences, it's also alike.

The rest of the tracks are not so progressive, and like I said before, they move between the typical gothic rock from Norway (but with a superior quality...) and a harder and groovy mood. So this is a very variated album from a very capable band... Wich lost some of their personality in the search for a bigger audience. Sometimes is hard to notice that you're hearing the same band wich made a true masterpice of post metal like Light of Day, Day of Darkness is.

Best tracks: Crushed to Dust (great riffing, and outstanding chorus...), Lullaby in Winter (a true jewel... A precious tribute to the 70's, only comparable with Opeth's Damnation in quality), Myron and Cole (it's maybe a bit too obscure, but it could have been in a great stoner rock album...) and As Life Flows By (I really love the bass lines in the verses...)

Conclusion: although this album is very good, is far from being so impressive as Light of Day, Day of Darkness... A Blessing in Disguise is more commercial, and I think the band tried to sound more radio friendly, but putting down part of their personality in the search of a bigger audience... I can understand it, and this album has enough interesting moments to being a worthy purchase. But being a prog lover, I think it's a pity that this band changed their musical direction in so a drastic way.

My rating: ***1/2

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