This album won’t leave anybody indifferent, as it’s so rich, musically talking. As I have already told in my review of ‘Shadows of
Insanity’, VR is a progressive metal band from Germany.
And as all the bands evoluting in this style, the predilection domain of these 5 virtuosi is the complexity : the songs are made of meanders, which twist and stand up straight again, always in an unpredictable way. ". ‘Parallel Worlds’ is beginning really strong with an inspired song, a bit « arabising » one, intitled « Awaken The
Sphinx ». Terrible ! Then comes the longest track on this album, the more epic, « Losing », former « Losing All » (appearing on the mini-cd ‘Shadows of
Insanity ‘), which demonstrate alone of the great talent and huge potential of
Vanilla Rex. The keyboards and guitars soli make people to thrill of pleasure…. « Gone With The Tide » is what man can consider as THE hit of this album : lively, it owns an inner seduction soul, it bewitches, it transport us. It’s also the most luminous title. A future bomb on stage. The first notes of « Five Senses » are echoing.
Once again, nothing to say. Heavy and addictive thanks to its chorus. (« The
Winged Serpent » remains me of the
Dream Theater ‘s 'Train Of Thoughts’ period by its heaviness an dits structure, but also the
Symphony X’s ‘The Odyssey’ era through its guitars playing. Really pleasant to listen to. The 7th song, the orientalising « Wasted
Life » is another jewel which man has to listen to from the beginning to the end in order to catch all the subtleties. Many numerous breaks and tempos changes stop the quiet and serene atmosphere which reigns here. Note the little shifting the zero between the keyboard and the guitars around the 4’38, which is the clear proof of their genius, as perfectly inserted in the song’s continuity. Finally, the last title, « 2005 – Tears Of A
Gargoyle » is, as its name is revealing, a remixed version of one of the song of ‘
Genius Diary’, the first VR studio album, released in 2000. This is the ballad of this album. With a very quiet intro and a quicker chorus, this track must be classed in the heavy power prog category. It’s a bit out of the musical line of ‘Parallel Worlds’, but, it’s nevertheless amazing and wonderful!
Vanilla Rex is one of the young hopes of a scene, obviously, lead by american (
Dream Theater,
Symphony X,
Kamelot) or nordic (
Pagan’s Mind) bands. Leaving out the traditional road taken by their teuton confreres, the band has taken a huge risk, but, has converted splendidly a dangerous try. It deserves for it all your greatest respect, but, not only for this reason : VR owns more than one trump in its bag to put the prog’ metal fans in its pocket.
Vanilla Rex has started really good to concurrence seriously their elders from DT & consorts. A beautiful testimony of the incarnated talent. A fresh album, heartening about the future of metal in Germany. According to me, this is one of the prog’ metal album of the year 2005, with the
Pagan’s Mind ‘Enigmatic : Mission’. Well done, guys!
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