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Tommy's Ratings and Reviews

 Allen Lande - The Revenge
Tommy's Rating: 8/10

I waited for this release to arrive like a child for Christmas.

It does grow on you and there is a strange charm to it's less accessible flow, but I'm missing a handful of "out of this world" tracks that the first one had (Wish For A Miracle, Where Have The Angels Gone, Come Alive, Reach A Little Longer)

Favourites on this one include the energized Wake Up Call, which is truly spectacular, the mystic Under The Waves, the groovy title track and the tear dropping When Time Doesn't Heal while the dual vocal attack in Just A Dream sends shivers down my spine (second verse = wow!).
Overall quality is top notch even though Will You Follow and Her Spell never really gets the magic flowing.

Some really heavy guitar riffs to enjoy too with Obsessed and Who Can You Trust as the most obvious crushing examples.

The production and performance is a joy all through and I recommend both these two discs for fans of melodic Metal/Rock. This project is one of the best things that has happened in a long time.


Original rating by Alanna: 9/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Modulator - 9/10 - Link to review
Pombo - 9/10 - Link to review
Dark Lord - 8.5/10 - Link to review







 Ayreon - 01011001
Tommy's Rating: 8.5/10

The Ayreon moniker has grown into one of my most cherished bands and this new opus only makes my admiration for Arjen bigger. The Human Equation was fantastic but there is just something about it when he takes the thing into space, he's a master in creating these tense and dreamy scenarios. It makes me think of favourite scenes from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Aliens, The Abyss and other great science fiction movies.
A brilliant album where Jorn Lande's divine approach sends thoughts back to his work with Beyond Twilight's first album and the amazing Burn The Sun piece by Ark.

Bob Catley and Tom S. Englund are smoking too and overall this huge project just clicks with only a few songs drifting into less interesting circulation, it gets the balance between mellowness and hardness refreshingly right.

The story has many cool and relevant aspects, but could have been more close-knit as a whole. Production is crisp but the extra something is clearly the imaginative use of 17 singers...fascinating.

Favourite tracks:

Comatose. The duet between Anneke van Giersbergen and Lande is just thrilling and the keyboard work mesmerising.

Beneath The Waves. Mystic, compelling and almost healing as it slowly takes you in.

Newborn Race. Optimising the use of seven great vocal performances into a firestorm of melodic wonders.

Unnatural Selection. The groove is just so damn heavy.


Original rating by Steen: 8/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
No ratings by other members






 Ayreon - 01011001
Tommy's Rating: 8.5/10

The Ayreon moniker has grown into one of my most cherished bands and this new opus only makes my admiration for Arjen bigger. The Human Equation was fantastic but there is just something about it when he takes the thing into space, he's a master in creating these tense and dreamy scenarios. It makes me think of favourite scenes from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Aliens, The Abyss and other great science fiction movies.
A brilliant album where Jorn Lande's divine approach sends thoughts back to his work with Beyond Twilight's first album and the amazing Burn The Sun piece by Ark.

Bob Catley and Tom S. Englund are smoking too and overall this huge project just clicks with only a few songs drifting into less interesting circulation, it gets the balance between mellowness and hardness refreshingly right.

The story has many cool and relevant aspects, but could have been more close-knit as a whole. Production is crisp but the extra something is clearly the imaginative use of 17 singers...fascinating.

Favourite tracks:

Comatose. The duet between Anneke van Giersbergen and Lande is just thrilling and the keyboard work mesmerising.

Beneath The Waves. Mystic, compelling and almost healing as it slowly takes you in.

Newborn Race. Optimising the use of seven great vocal performances into a firestorm of melodic wonders.

Unnatural Selection. The groove is just so damn heavy.


Original rating by Alanna: 8/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
No ratings by other members






 Blanc Faces - Falling From the Moon
Tommy's Rating: 8/10

The debut was quite delightful but this is a really great album with a superb production and a bunch of memorable AOR gems, it's all very sugarish but man does it taste good.

The line "You're beautiful smile and your gentle soul go together with your name, The empty chair there on Christmas eve won't be filled again" from Deep In The Heart is simply heartbreaking. On a brighter note It's All About The Love and I Come Alive hit a vivid and life-affirming vibe that's simply irresistible.



Original rating by Alanna: 7/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
mollyhatchet - 7/10 - Link to review







 Bob Catley - Immortal
Tommy's Rating: 8/10

Ultra solid with a tough edge.


Original rating by Alanna: 9/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Craig - 8.5/10 - Link to review
Modulator - 9.5/10 - Link to review
Little Drummer Boy - 8.5/10 - Link to review
Dark Lord - 9/10 - Link to review







 Brainstorm - Soul Temptation
Tommy's Rating: 7.5/10

Oh yes this is highly enjoyable indeed.

Brainstorm has a special-sounding, extremely bombastic and hard style of Power Metal to offer the hungry Metal scene, and a big plus is the fact that the songs seem very worked-through and displaying both intensity and ear-hanging capacity.

The lyrics once again have a cool complex gleam dealing with themes from inner struggle to dark mysticism presented with great vocal strength.

Some favourites are the hard pumping Highs Without Lows, the fast and aggressive To The Head and Fornever with its great symphonic dimension and ingenious nature.
This said I still hunger for more really high quality tracks and a couple more fast blasts; the album has quite many mid-tempo cuts that are good but not exactly mind-blowing. Some choruses have a tendency to be close to unmelodic, partly due to a tiresome spoken style as in Fading.

There exist no doubt that these guys are very familiar and trained in creating quite technical, very grooving and highly intensive Power Metal, the guitars are extremely vigorous and the level of tightness in the rhythm section is remarkable high.

I can strongly advise you to invest in the limited edition containing a bonus DVD with the strong and well-produced Summer Breeze Festival 2002 performance.

The diverse, epic and ultra heavy Ambiguity album is after all still my absolute favourite Brainstorm release.


Original rating by David: 8.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Modulator - 9.5/10 - Link to review







 Brother Firetribe - Heart Full Of Fire
Tommy's Rating: 8/10

Not all songs come together, but a great, fun and ultra catchy disc.


Original rating by Brian: 9/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Dark Lord - 8/10 - Link to review







 Danger Danger - Revolve
Tommy's Rating: 8.5/10

Alanna captured the feel of this outstanding album nicely; it really gets around and manages to sound authentic in every aspect.

I'm completely crazy with That's What I'm Talking About , it's so subtle and yet so immensely huge and groovy...and that chorus, awesome.

Keep On Keepin' On is a positive energy rush that will get you excited sooner or later.

Ingenious lyrics, stunning production, great musicianship and no real fillers, Beautiful Regret do miss a bit of spark though.

Ohh, and I almost forgot the spellbinding launch of Rocket To Your Heart, that start gets me every time, pure magic.

Do yourself a favour and check this one out, it most surely will grow on you.



Original rating by Alanna: 8.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
ProfessorShred - 7.5/10 - Link to review
guitarman - 9/10 - Link to review







 FM - Indiscreet
Tommy's Rating: 9/10

Tommy has not added a review.


Original rating by Alanna: 9/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
No ratings by other members






 Foreigner - Can't Slow Down
Tommy's Rating: 8/10

A really strong comeback album, when Kelly Hansen proclaimed that he wanted to bend his vocals in a more passionate direction he clearly meant it. He's varied and soulful performance is stunning.

I'll Be Home Tonight is one of many favourite songs from the year 2009, just the delicate piano in the background, marvellous stuff. In Pieces is also high quality material and with a chorus you could sing-a-long to all day.

A few songs go under the radar but the majority of the thirteen tracks really shine a bright, melodic light.

Highly recommended for all Classic/Melodic Rock enthusiasts.


Original rating by Alanna: 7.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
No ratings by other members






 From the Inside - Visions
Tommy's Rating: 8.5/10

The first one was great but this is even better. A varied collection of songs with a brilliant melodic core.


Original rating by Alanna: 7.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Little Drummer Boy - 8/10 - Link to review







 Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
Tommy's Rating: 3.5/10

Messy, disconnected, irritating and without aim, soul or purpose. This is not how I want to remember Guns N' Roses, shame Axl had to wrap the band name around himself before planning a dive head first into the mud.
I gave this more chances than was good for my health and not a single song will have me coming back; It sounds artificial and the songs are filled with so many alternative, unfitting elements making things even more incoherent than they all ready are. Apart from a few uplifting elements there is not much positive I can say, 14 songs and not a single one close to a winner...embarrassing.


Original rating by Michael: 7/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
notrap - 8/10 - Link to review







 Harem Scarem - Hope
Tommy's Rating: 8/10

The bands discography remains one of the most impressive, and I'm not only talking about the Hard Rock genre. From the uplifting debut, the defining Mood Swings to the lightweight of Rubber, into the utter melodic brilliance of Higher, the harsh Overload and that's just to name some of them, now Hope stands as a worthy epitaph.
The band has decided it was time for something new and judged by the quality of Hope there is even more reason to feel saddened.

Watch Your Back is a superb opener, crunchy and memorable.

Time Bomb has some cool guitar action, but never really get things going, Beyond Repair is fittingly darkened but quite anonymous.
The rest is just good times with Days Are Numbered as the high-energy boost reflecting what a perfect Hard Rock tune sounds like.

Production, lyrics and performances are top notch; if something should come to an end this is a pretty good way of doing it.

I agree that Shooting Star and Nothing Without You are outstanding tracks, brilliantly conveying a lot of emotion; just the way the keyboard gently underlies the chorus in the later one is no short of magic.

Hope has a serious, meaningful profile and as always its ultra catchy and in retrospective what other single word could in fact better describe this bands core competence.


Original rating by Alanna: 8.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
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 House of Lords - Come to My Kingdom
Tommy's Rating: 8.5/10

High quality Melodic Hard Rock from start to end, groovy and powerful.


Original rating by Alanna: 8/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
No ratings by other members






 Journey - Revelation
Tommy's Rating: 7.5/10

Great album, varied and effusive.


Original rating by Alanna: 7.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
No ratings by other members






 Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution
Tommy's Rating: 6.5/10

Any Priest album is awaited with huge excitement, especially this reunion disc.
I'm somehow divided about Angel Of Retribution, finding many enjoyable and classic Priest moments but also little material that really impresses.

Judas Rising is a great Metal hymn, showing that Tipton and K.K. still got the magic while Halford throws in some thrilling vocal twists.

Deal With The Devil is another favourite, having a cool rocking drive and massive bass foundation.

I was very disappointed when I prior to the release heard Revolution, and I'm only feeling slightly more positive towards it now. Simple is a good way to describe its path and the dull chorus doesn't exactly enhance it, the irregular drumming is cool though.

The two ballads Angel and Eulogy are nice and quite compelling without coming near past glories like Epitaph, Nigh Comes Down, Blood Red Skies or Lost And Found. They seem a bit too ordinary in structure and they never really developed the way I hoped they would.

You can't take away from Lochness that it at its best moments is gloomy in a fascinating way, on the other hand it's too long and what's up with those noisy and twisted guitar sounds.

Performance-wise things are looking very good and ultra solid, as goes for the crisp sound. The dark shrouded and nostalgic vibe found on the lyrically front works out well too.

Overall I'm just missing a bit more madness, melody, aggressiveness and speed.

A far cry from their best works but still a good record.


Original rating by Hashman: 9/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Steen - 7/10 - Link to review







 Judas Priest - Painkiller
Tommy's Rating: 9/10

This is indeed a most spectacular classic release. Anyway seems like we got some different favourites here.

Leather Rebel is a piece of pure genius. The fast rhythm base is roaring with pure power and the fantastic attitude loaded lyric and melodic refrain is just brilliant, especially the background-supporting chorus line "lightning in the dark" is simply divine and one of the biggest highlights of the entire record.

Metal Meltdown is just pure madness. The mid-section guitar duel is just amazing as Steen nicely describes. Another aspect I really love about it is the main monster riff and Rob's screaming vocals.

All Guns Blazing features some of Rob's most thrilling vocal lines and Glenn's solo part is absolutely thrillingly intense. The slower part of the song is also very powerful, the tight bass and hard drumming come out very vigorous. Lots of detailed guitar parts helps in making this highly dynamic track.

Still there are some minor aspects that keep it from being over the top.
Hell Patrol has a great hard driven rhythm and its groove is very high. On the other hand I find the chorus too stationary and lacking that special energized touch.

One Shot At Glory is far from my favourite track. The main rhythm riff is just a bit too simple and the rather laid-back chorus isn't that captivating either, especially not when compared with so much else on this release. The lead guitar work is nevertheless huge; especially K.K.'s middle solo part and again Rob's varied vocals sound fantastic.

I miss a more central bass on this one, it's there, laying a quite solid background but not really adding much on the creative front, solid anyway though.

All in all a most phenomenal album with many huge songs and a performance that is truly inspiring and memorable. The guitar work is simply out of this world.

Favourite songs: Leather Rebel, Metal Meltdown, Night Crawler, Painkiller and All Guns Blazing.

Favourite albums: Jugulator, Painkiller, Sad Wings Of Destiny, Defenders Of The Faith and British Steel.


Original rating by Steen: 9.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Stuart - 10/10 - Link to review
notrap - 10/10 - Link to review
Dark Lord - 9.5/10 - Link to review
Psychonator - 9.5/10 - Link to review







 Kip Winger - From the Moon to the Sun
Tommy's Rating: 8/10

A fascinating, sombre and creative expression.


Original rating by Alanna: 7.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
robertt - 9/10 - Link to review







 Kreator - Hordes of Chaos
Tommy's Rating: 7.5/10

Definitely a great and compact round of intense Trash Metal. I for one enjoy Radical Resistance with its cool lyrics and fierce drum attack.

The album sounds authentic and supercharged, the musical performance is splendid and it just gets your blood pumping, as any good Kreator album should.

The title track is a magnificent construction with great melodic guitar leads and balanced passages giving it a rather diverse profile.

A safe buy for fans of Trash Metal.


Original rating by Stuart: 7/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Craig - 7/10 - Link to review







 Marcello-Vestry - Marcello-Vestry
Tommy's Rating: 9/10

This album is simply brilliant. A huge melodic rush of positive energies coming at you with full force. So balanced, so crisp and what a voice...incredible. Highlight of the year 2008.


Original rating by Alanna: 8/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Dark Lord - 8.5/10 - Link to review
guitarman - 9.5/10 - Link to review







 Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who´s Buying? - DVD Audio Edition
Tommy's Rating: 6.5/10

Even though I'm listening to the "old" version of the album it never became a Megadeth favourite in my book. Sure it has cool intense moments (Wake Up Dead) and clever ideas (Peace Sells), but too many songs lack better structure and musically the band was still evolving.

Favourite Megadeth albums:

Rust In Peace (9/10)
Countdown To Extinction (8,5/10)
Youthanasia (8/10)



Original rating by Hashman: 10/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
notrap - 10/10 - Link to review







 Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy
Tommy's Rating: 7.5/10

Really strong effort, track 2-6 are truly impressive. The riffs are awesome and Warrel sounds amazing. After that the album becomes a bit less interesting.

"Starre into the sky, with newborn perfect eyes"...Oh how I love that line.


Original rating by Stuart: 7.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Little Drummer Boy - 7/10 - Link to review
Craig - 6.5/10 - Link to review







 Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
Tommy's Rating: 7.5/10

One of the most interesting bands in Metal returns with a new opus, this time with real orchestrations playing a major, dark and passionate role. The real beauty is that it doesn't really take focus away from the band, sounding really tight and innovative.

I don't think the word commercial goes a long way in describing this effort, sure it has some soft songs and potential "hit" ballads, but that's fine with a playing time of 75 minutes.

Amaranth is a great track, shifting back and forth from celestial grace to bombastic ass kicking.

Anette has a wonderful voice and manages to adjust it to the different scenarios throughout the album. She really carries the atmospheric Eva on delicate wings and her opening lines in For The Heart I Once Had is no less than emotionally moving.

Meadows Of Heaven has a tender and otherworldly feel to it, brilliantly combining harmonic guitar leads, orchestral wonders and soaring vocals.

Fact is that this album is also crushingly heavy to the bone (Master Passion Greed), mid-paced rocking (Cadence Of Her Last Breath), instrumentally challenging (Last Of The Wilds) and down right beautiful (last section of Poet And The Pendulum).

I agree that some lyrical elements are awkward and quite silly; others more sophisticated and well suited in.
Unfortunately Marco's unfortunate harsh and at times irritating vocals takes up way too much space, a few inputs for the sake of contrast and that would have been enough for me. His "normal" execution in The Islander works out well though.

Production and recording has been extremely expensive, but man has it been worth it. This is simply one of the best-produced albums I have listened to and the whole orchestral part of it is overwhelming and so well fitted in.

What keeps this album from being a clearer success is the fact that too many songs don't leave a more lasting impression. Lot's of quality tracks with ingenious passages, but few full blown highlights.
One of them is 7 Days To The Wolves; the spectacular break half way through says it all.

I doubt they will ever top Century Child, but this is a massive piece of bombastic Symphonic Metal, it has its minor downsides but also plenty of magnificent moments.


Original rating by Stuart: 6/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
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 Poley/Rivera - Only Human
Tommy's Rating: 8/10

I'm getting a bigger fan of Mr. Poley by the day, as Alanna stated his vocals are truly unique and well plain awesome...I still visit his Smile album from time to time.
Top Of The World is my favourite track here...the beginning is just way too cool, the chorus overcharged with feel good vibes and the guitar work sparkling, even as the song fades Rivera rips it home.
Only Human is incredible, moody and with soul, character and emotional depth while Did We Just Have A Moment is just joyful melodic fun. There is something about this album that makes it stand out being smooth but in a groovy, hard fashioned way.


Original rating by Alanna: 7.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
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 Rage - Soundchaser
Tommy's Rating: 8/10

This one hits like a forceful hammer, an extremely powerful record and also one of Rage's best. The band consists of world-class musicians and this is a clearly apparent fact when listening to these songs, the technical level is amazing and each track has many cool twist and turns.

Central chorus' seems to be a very important element on this record, and some are clearly better than others. Great Old Ones is a brilliant song with a very catchy chorus and still the rhythm is extremely hard. Soundchaser on the other hand comes out a bit too basic in form and with a chorus that lacks something really exiting and ear-hanging.

A track like War Of Worlds pretty well sums up what this record is mostly about; Power Metal with an innovative structure, intense drumming, a firework of fantastic guitar parts, ground solid bass lines and Peavy's raw and aggressive voice.

Overall this is a very solid album that only has good to great songs, it's complex nature makes it very durable and if yore are sleepy one morning a couple of shots from this one should make you considerable more awake.

I still think that their bombastic XIII and ultra heavy Black In Mind are their superior works to date.


Original rating by Steen: 9/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
No ratings by other members






 Redemption - Snowfall On Judgment Day
Tommy's Rating: 8.5/10

A soul-stirring and extremely powerful album ready to cash in the "Best Of 2009 Awards" for most awesome cover art, coolest album title and without doubt best lyrics. Not to forget the thrilling drumming, a stunning vocal performance by Ray Alder and an overall techinical and impressive rhythm section.

Leviathan Rising (all the noisy talk is quite distracting) and Fistful Of Sand hasn't got the soul and melodic core that most other songs have, but when you pack Black And Whie World, What Will You Say? (spellbinding) and Love Kills Us All / Life In One Day onto one album you clearly mean buisness.



Original rating by Steen: 9/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
ProfessorShred - 8.5/10 - Link to review
Little Drummer Boy - 9/10 - Link to review
Dark Lord - 8.5/10 - Link to review







 Rhapsody (of Fire) - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret
Tommy's Rating: 6.5/10

And so we got the fifth Rhapsody opus and yes overall it's a good album.

Unholy Warcry is a powerful, majestic and detailed track with many uplifting moments.

The enchanting and down right beautiful The Magic Of The Wizards Dream is a clear highlight, Fabio's second chorus line backed up by huge orchestrations gives me chills all over.

The Last Angels' Call relies on a much too repetitive but quite cool chorus line, I just don't think the songs structure has the profoundness I know this band is capable of delivering.

Sacred Power Of Ancient Winds comes forth with both drama and lots of melody, the spoken part in the middle that Steen also refers to is nevertheless not that successful but overall a very challenging creation.

The real orchestrations enhance the thick atmospheres and gives the album a very grand feeling. On the other hand it also makes it a bit too polished here and there, this also has something to do with the quite bright but nevertheless clear and highly professional production, I just miss some more down to earth, crunchy and aggressive elements.

Making use of a second and not very good secondary narrator when finally getting someone as cool as Christopher Lee is just head-shakingly incomprehensible.
The Oh yes, follow me passage in Elgard's Green Valleys sounds totally akward and amazingly silly. The spoken part in Erian's Mystical Rhymes isn't convincing either and the subsequently joyful orchestrations simply don't fit the dark context.

I have never been too fond of the Rhapsody saga and lyrics and this time is certainly no exception, uninspiring and unoriginal are words that can be used in more than one instance, fortunately we are treated with some interesting passages along the way.

The ballad Guardiani Del Destino is a pretty decent song, I just find it a bit annoying that they once again have a ballad sung in Italian; I have no clue of what Fabio is singing about.

I find this their least good collection of songs, missing more memorable elements. It also has too many irritating moments that scar it, but in all fairness this is also a well-crafted album with a couple of really fantastic songs.


Original rating by Steen: 8.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Dark Lord - 8.5/10 - Link to review







 Savatage - Gutter Ballet
Tommy's Rating: 9.5/10

You are so right Steen.

One of many spectacular Savatage albums. This one surely gets around many corners and its diversity is a really strong characteristic. Best guitarist ever, Criss Oliva, puts out a thundering playing style of a world unique, and Jon delivers one of the strongest and most empathized vocal performances I can think of.

I'm extremely fond of She's In Love, its direct style fits perfect and its amount of intensity and musical flair is astonishing. When The Crowd's Are Gone is a beautiful masterpiece that has this special enchanting mood too it. The Unholy most be one of the heaviest Savatage songs, a perfect mix of groove and melody. Summer's Rain ranks up there with the best and most moving ballads ever created, the atmospheric guitar solo is a strike of pure genius.

Thorazine Shuffle and Of Rage And War is my least favourite ones, the amount of thrilling passages is just a bit lower than the rest of the record, but powerful pieces of music anyway.

Gutter Ballet manages to capture hardness, melody and true feelings in a breathtaking effort.


Original rating by Steen: 9.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Little Drummer Boy - 9/10 - Link to review
notrap - 8/10 - Link to review







 Stratovarius - Elements Part 2
Tommy's Rating: 7/10

This is indeed a very solid release. The classic Strato stuff is all here, but compared to earlier works this one is more atmospheric, slow and grooving.

Here is a short remark to my favourite songs.

I Walk To My Own Song: One of Tolkki's best creations. A very positive and melodic track that has a firm rocking vibe. Great mid-section solo passage and a catchy keyboard melody.

Alpha & Omega: A very atmospheric track that gains a lot by the use of a real orchestra. A heavy riff, detailed drums and tight bass set a grooving base where Timo's sensitive voice fits in perfectly.

Luminous just has a fantastic calm and reassuring spirit that could light up the darkest room, fantastic vocals and dreaming keys.

Still I miss more melodic "elements" and more than three fantastic songs for this one to reach their best works. In Dreamweaver we find a cool mystic atmosphere; the chorus on the other hand is not very successful and rather tame. Awaken The Giant has a great ingenious solo and cool refinements in the drumming, but something really exciting is clearly missing and the main rhythm becomes a bit tiresome.

Anyway all in all this is well executed, diverse and atmospheric Power Metal.

The album is released in limited edition with a bonus CD; this also goes for Elements Pt. 1, both being highly recommendable.
This one contains some interesting demo versions with quite funny passages and some great live cuts, including a most genius version of the fantastic Soul Of A Vagabond from the slightly better Elements Pt 1.

Favourite Stratovarius albums: Destiny, Visions, Episode and Infinite.


Original rating by Hashman: 8.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
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 Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Tommy's Rating: 9.5/10

Yes, this surely is a magical release. The guitars are simply stunning, twisting and turning, displaying great skill, heaviness and melody. The keyboards are working in great harmony with the tight main rhythm-section, and the harmonious vocals are just fantastic.

The title track really shows the huge abilities of this great band, the atmosphere and overall flow of this extensive song is just perfect. Of Sins And Shadows is one of my all time favourite songs, as well as the remaining ones, ha ha. Seriously all songs have very high quality, even though I find the melodic The Witching Hour lacking some of the high intensity as found for example in the diverse and extremely powerful Out Of The Ashes. Anyway, this album is a classic and the lyrics are very good too, filled with personal issues like inner struggle, and also exterior themes like interesting mythology.

This band belongs to the absolute best in the world, their unique style of technical, powerful, symphonic and melodic Metal is overwhelming.


Original rating by Yoni: 9.5/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
ProfessorShred - 9.5/10 - Link to review
YNGWIEVIKING - 10/10 - Link to review







 Work Of Art - Artwork
Tommy's Rating: 8.5/10

Melodic bliss.


Original rating by Brian: 8/10
Link to original review

Other member ratings:
Dark Lord - 8/10 - Link to review
Little Drummer Boy - 8.5/10 - Link to review
ProfessorShred - 8.5/10 - Link to review












Last profile update: Monday, October 15, 2007

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