MASQUERADE

Excellent second efford by this Austrian band (which, by the way, never got the recognition they deserved). their version of The Phantom Of The Opera is the best I ever heard: great vocals by Sandra Schleret and Tilo Wolf (guesting from Lacrimosa), fine arrangement and total respect for the original version. This track beats Nightwish´s version easily (and I´m a huge fan of Nightwish!). The band is in fine form and I specially love Frederic Heil´s lush keyboards. The guy is simply amazing for his prowness and tasteful symphonic arrangements. Masquerade part 1 is another highlight with all band members delivering a stunning perfomance (again I should point Heil´s outstanding keyboard work, his piano solo in the middle section is absolute amazing in its simplicity and beauty).

It is only a pity that this fine group could not hold a stable line up. If they stayed together for a few more releases I´m sure they would be as big as any other prog metal legend. Schleret is a very underrated singer, with an fantastic operatic voice that works very well in other styles. Guitars, bass and drums are all well balanced and produce a wall of sound that scapes from most power metal cliches. Masquerade is a great leap forward when compared to their first (and good) release. they simply never sounded better, original and convincing. The production could be a tad better, but it is good anyway, and there are no fillers. all songs are varied and interesting, though I think some parts are better than others, as usual. And, to wrap up it all, the cover is simply beautiful.

Masquerade is the kind of CD that will please many different kinds of listeners: metal, prog, goth, etc. It´s simply a great piece fo music, hard to label, but easy to love it. 4,5 stars.