LOST

Another great release that's being distributed via free download. "Lost" is a great album in the vein of classic progressive metal releases, especially those Dream Theater circa "Awake." "Lost" may suffer from being a bit too derivative, but for those who don't mind a bit of a familiar sound, it should provide many enjoyable listens.

The title track "Lost" begins the album with some swelling organ chords which are soon matched by guitar and percussion. A melodic guitar line quickly enters over these chords before giving way to a fingerpicked guitar part overlaid with a bass (I'm pretty sure it's a bass) solo. A heavier section with some eastern sounding textures follows, followed by some uptempo riffing and then a return to the original chord progression. As the fingerpicked motif returns, vocals enter. The first thing I noticed about the vocals is that they sound astonishingly similar to James LaBrie, to the point where I had to check the album credits to make sure he didn't have a guest spot on this album. For some that may be a turn off, but I've always been a fan of the style and to my ears the vocals suit the music very well. Speaking of the music, it follows the same basic motifs set out in the instrumental introductory section, with a very good guitar solo thrown in and really excellent drumming throughout. A bombastic chorus gives the track an epic feel, and it's a dynamic song and a great opener. Overall the track sounds very much like it could have come off of an early Dream Theater album, and not just because of the similar vocals. It's a bold move to start an album off with the longest track, but here, it works.

"Sad World" begins with percussion and some faint synths before a nifty little guitar solo begins. Vocals enter without too much delay, this time a bit more restrained. Even the chorus sounds a bit more melancholy than "Lost" did, which I suppose is appropriate given the title of the song. Even when the tempo picks up a bit in the second half, the musicians and the vocalist do an excellent job of infusing the music with a kind of longing sorrow. Again, I can't avoid making a comparison to the ballads of Dream Theater, as it has very much the same feel.

"The Same Story" begins with a groovy bassline before some guitar chords enter. Vocals aren't far behind. Like "Lost" I think this track could have come straight off of "Awake," but I would consider that a compliment. The vocals are soaring, the arrangements are great, and obviously all of the musicians are very accomplished. Another guitar solo appears here, this time followed by a synth solo, all the while backed by that dynamic bass line. The song also a has a great progression in the overall "feel" of the track, beginning with a very mysterious tone and progressing to one of accomplishment and satisfaction, if that makes sense.

"Memories of Promises" follows, beginning with a melodic guitar line and some more excellent bass work. Vocals enter pretty much immediately, singing a verse or two before launching into a very melodic, epic-sounding chorus. The guitar, though, is the standout on the track, matching the emotion in the vocals perfectly and maintaining a powerful presence even when it's not at the forefront. It also provides one of the best solos on the album, full of emotion and power. There's also a gorgeous piano feature towards the end; a moment of simple beauty among the soaring vocals and guitar that dominate the rest of the track. Overall, I think "Memories of Promises" is one of the best tracks on the album, melding beauty and heaviness, passion and technicality in the way that only the best progressive metal can.

"Scientific Discipline" immediately launches into a more technical, heavy sound that I find to be highly reminiscent of, again, Dream Theater instrumentals. I'm heavily reminded of both "Erotomania" and "Stream of Consciousness" at parts, though the brevity of "Scientific Discipline" (only a little over three minutes) leaves it much less developed than those tracks, to the point where it almost feels unfinished. A fine little instrumental tidbit but in my opinion it pales in comparison to the track before it.

"Wasted Time" begins very much in the same vein as the previous track, with an uptempo, heavy riff dominating the music. The vocals are appropriately energetic, and Initial Gravity's skill at writing vocal melodies is on full display here. There's yet another guitar solo as well, this one perhaps a bit "shreddier" than some of the previous ones. Another very technically impressive synth solo appears as well, but overall the track doesn't stick out terribly to me.

"Initial Gravity" takes it down a notch again, beginning with some gorgeous solo piano before adding some more great bass as well as guitar and keyboards. The track strikes a great balance between this more delicate sound as well as some heaviness, which is especially present in the chorus. There's some great back and forth soloing between the guitar and synth towards the end before the vocal melody makes a reprise to close out the song.

"Take Me Higher" closes out the album on a bang, beginning with some minimal percussion before launching into a bombastic riff that just sounds joyful to me. The vocals seem to match this, singing with incredible gusto and absolutely belting it out on the chorus. The song manages to be very heavy and also very happy sounding, a combination goes a bit against the norm, as I find generally the heavier songs are often the darker ones. Here, though, that is most certainly not the case, and "Take Me Higher" is a very satisfying end to a very satisfying album.

While I hate to use this phrase because I know that it will turn off a lot of people, I would be lying if I said that "Dream Theater clone" wasn't a fair descriptor of this album. It's very good compositionally and technically, but it sounds so similar to Dream Theater that I really think you could take a track off of "Lost," stick it into Awake, and someone who didn't know the album wouldn't be able to say which track didn't belong. Again, I personally don't consider that to be a bad thing; there's nothing wrong with a band wearing its influences on its sleeve as long as the music is good, and the music on "Lost" certainly is. Dream Theater fans should have no problem enjoying this album, but those who dislike them probably won't enjoy this terribly, either. Speaking for myself, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this band because I've got a feeling they'll do some great things.

3.5/5, rounded up