THE EMPYREAN EQUATION OF THE LONG LOST THINGS

German prog metal veterans Vanden Plas released their eleventh studio album in April of 2024, titled 'The Empyrean Equation of the Long Lost Things', in continuation of their current creative revival, stapled by the release of several great albums in recent years inspired most likely by their earlier sound. 'The Empyrean Equation' is both emotionally and technically a severely impressive, memorable and enjoyable album that might as well go down as one of the strongest metal releases of the decade yet staying true to the band's signature style of blending their progressive influences with a sense of melodrama, all infused with a melodic, epic edge, ever so present in the entirety of their catalogue, and perhaps one of the defining traits of the genre as a whole.

The creative efforts of Andy Kuntz and Stephan Lill in terms of lyrics and music have led to stellar outcomes as the album travels through six fantastic compositions that display the full prowess and capabilities of Vanden Plas. The quirky and melodic title track and album opener sets a somewhat celebratory and emotionally intense tone for the album, combining exquisite technical playing with several unexpected turns with an overall quite accessible songwriting, which I believe is preserved throughout the entire album, which above all showcases the band's strength of writing great music that is also memorable and intricate. 'My Icarian Flight' is a powerful and epic song that could have perfectly fitted any of the band's classic albums, almost displaying a power metal tendency in the presentation of the song. 10-minute rollercoaster 'Sanctimonarium' is a fantastic mini-epic, compelling, melodic and technically astute, and one that could easily rival any of the longer pieces on Dream Theater or Fates Warning's more recent releases. 'The Sacrilegious Mind Machine' goes on in the same vein, another interesting moment on the album, while 'They Call Me God' is more of a captivating elegy that transitions into the 15-minute closing track 'March of the Saints', a very anthemic piece that closes off an excellent album that draws upon fantastic imagery and sci-fi concepts, very suitable for the epic music presented here. 'The Empyrean Equation' is a well-written and well-sounding album that allows one of metal's veterans to display the entirety of their creative capacities.