SACRED PATHWAYS

Led by keyboard maestro Vitalij Kuprij (Ring of Fire, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), singer extraordinaire John West (Royal Hunt) and guitar wizard Roger Staffelbach, prog/neoclassical metal band Artension have been churning out album after album since their inception, Sacred Pathways being their 5th in only 7 years since their 1996 debut. For the occasion, the band is completed by the same formidable rhythmic section (Mike Terrana / drums; Kevin Chown / bass) that had played on Artension's first two records and had then left after that. With such a technically proficient line-up, the quality of the playing is not under discussion ? but the real question is whether the songwriting is up to par, after Artension's previous record Machine had disappointed more than a few fans.

Fortunately, the US-based combo seem to have found their mojo again. Sacred Pathways features an impressive array of textbook neoclassical metal tunes, rhythmically tight, sublimely melodic and running at speed-of-light tempos. The inspiration of Baroque and classical music is evident throughout the record, in the construction of the vocal melodies, in Kuprij's and Staffelbach's ornamented solos, as well as in the use of contrapuntal harmonies. Personally, I prefer the more original mixture of hard rock, prog and neoclassical metal that Artension pursued at the beginning of their career. But I have to admit that the band's take on the neoclassical metal style is very well-done and convincing here.

Songs like "Your Victory" and "The Emperor" rip and shred like anything ever composed by His Neoclassical Majesty Yngwie Malmsteen, and then some more (listen to the slapped bass groove on "Your Victory"). Meanwhile, "Running out of Time", "Sacred Pathways" and "Nightmare" are more melodic affairs that remind me of bands like Royal Hunt and allow John West to showcase all his talent, illustrating why he was such a sought-after vocalist at the time. His voice is clean and trained, and yet rich in resonance thanks to his powerful vibrato and soulful, husky tone. Also enjoyable are the obligatory ballad "The Calm before the Storm" and the brisk instrumental "March to Ruin" where Kuprij fully unleashes his compositional and playing skills.

The album contains a handful of duller moments, from the anonymous hard rock filler "The Killing" to the odd, Queenesque piano ballad "Flower of the Orient" that closes the record awkwardly. The album's main drawback, however, is its production. This is a problem that has afflicted several Artension's releases. There are several issues. The drum sound is pretty terrible, too dry and compressed. It constantly drowns out the guitar, whose sound is also poor and thin. Even the keyboards do not sound great, which is surprising considering the prominent role they play for Artension. The mix is also poor and at times it is really hard to follow the harmonic structure of the songs, because all one can hear are Terrana's busy drumwork and John West's vocals ("The Emperor").

Despite these shortcomings that in part do ruin the listening experience, Sacred Pathways is a solid album, thanks to its inspired songwriting and the excellent playing of all musicians involved. It is a considerable step up relative to Artension's previous record, Machine, and although it is not at the levels of the band's first two albums, it is up there with the best work by neoclassical metal artists.