LAST EPIC

The concept behind Last Epic, as far as I can tell, is about some sort of weird apartment building in which all the activities are watched by sinister figures in the Surveying Room, but that's just from glancing at the song titles. But to be honest, I've never been able to follow the lyrics closely enough to put the story together completely. I've not found the music especially gripping either; it all tends to wash over me, with the moments that stand out (such as "Ted's Ballad") standing out for the wrong reasons - they're the bits when I say to myself "man, this song is *really* outlasting its welcome", and when you find yourself saying that about a song that's less than 4 minutes you know there's a problem.

For the most part, A.C.T.'s music seems to sit somewhere between the occasional heavy bit reminiscent of Dream Theater and more upbeat and brighter bits that remind me of The Flower Kings. It's an interesting blend, and I'm not entirely sure that it works for me - I've never found the FKs to be to my tastes. It's a good enough little album, but I also think it's not going to be to everyone's tastes; for my part, I don't get anything out of it.