ELEVENTH HOUR

Having started listening to this album before reading anything about it, I nearly fell off my chair upon hearing Gareth Mason's unmistakable spoken word at the start of 'Sail Away.' I mean who would have seen this coming?! Ross Jennings, the vocalist of Haken, teaming up with the up and coming powerhouse of extreme progressive metal that is Gareth Mason (go listen to Odyssey to the West by Slice the Cake and thank me later)?! Can heaven and earth occupy the same point in space?!

Despite my hyperbole, the album actually doesn't quite live up to the expectation I would have set for it given the talent involved. At the risk of making too superficial a comparison, I liken this album to Haken's Visions mixed with Mason's signature growls and spoken word. And much like Visions, the song writing is diverse, performances are strong, and almost nothing comes off offensive to the ear. But therein lies the album's drawback: its too safe. When heaven and hell join forces, I would expect something we've not quite seen before and not just plain old Earth.

This is a good album and you will enjoy it. Just not so sure you'll be coming for repeat listens.