THE GATES OF NEVER

On Apple Pie's second album, The Gates of Never, the Spock's Beard-meets-Salem Hill approach taken on their debut (Crossroads) is swapped out in favour of a prog metal approach that really cranks up the Dream Theater influence on the band to 11 - so it's no surprise to find Derek Sherinian guesting on keyboards. The material here consists of competent and enjoyable prog metal with the occasional twist - the various parts of Letters of a Deadman being the most varied part of the album - and the band will probably pick up a few fans with this one. That said, the shift in their sound may alienate some listeners who fell in love with Crossroads, and the band still don't seem to have carved out a distinct identity for themselves.