After the 1998 release of their first album "Timescape", one of the most impressive debuts of the past year, the Finnish symphonic progressive metal band KENZINER is poised to follow this up in no lesser manner with their excellent second work, "The Prophecies". Ten new songs, each comfortably balanced on the golden tightrope of technical brilliance and easy to remember arrangements, each compactly packed into the time span so popular for metal songs, of between 4:37 min. (The Razor´s Edge) and 10.07 min. (The Prophecies), and nota bene, every second is used to the full.

At the musical core of all KENZINER compositions are still guitarist Jarno Keskinen and vocalist Stephen Fredrick. Jarno"s guitar-playing is complex, fancy, breathtaking and drenched with classical parts, often reminding the listener of Mozart, Vivaldi and Beethoven. Jarno is not only a talented instrumentalist, but also a wonderful composer with exactly the right feeling for transparency and showing an appropriate love of details. "Rock Hard" was fully justified in describing him as belonging " ... to the long honors list of notable neo-classical musicians (Edition 135 / August 1998). Frontman Stephen Fredrick has already worked with numerous acts known all over the world. To name a few examples, he sang on an album by the MCA artiste Billy The Kid, worked together with producer/arstiste Brendan OBrien, with Atomic Shelter/Bruno Langer and David T. Chastain. Fredrick is no shouter in the traditional sense, but rather a versatile and talented singer with charisma, expressiveness and enormous empathy in his voice.

Although mastermind Keskinen played all keyboard parts on "Timescape" himself, he has now hired a true master of the keys in the form of 19 year old Mikko Harkin. The young Finn had his first piano lessons when he was only five years old and it would be no exaggeration to describe him as a virtuoso. "Mikko is a great musician, he already knew what I liked when I first met him, " says Jarno. "That"s why it was so easy to work with him. We jammed together a few times and the next time we met it was in the studio, to record The Prophecies." KENZINER have also welcomed another new band member - drummer Brian Harris, who formerly played with My Own Victim and who can also be heard on the current Zanister Opus (feat. David T. Chastain). Jarno: "Brian is an extraordinarily strong drummer and yet can be extremely sensitive, especially during the slow ballads. I think he"s an excellent drummer."

The lyrics of "The Prophecies" cover a number of different subjects with which KENZINER have special relationships or about which they have strong feelings: war, unrequited love, dreams, senseless murder and greed. And so although "Timescape" was woven around a fantasy story, "The Prophecies" tends to deal with reality and facts. This change of subject is also clearly audible. Songs such as the fast "Live Forever", "Razor´s Edge" and "Eternity", (the latter being the fastest on the entire album) stand out as genuine kick-ass metal numbers. There"s time to catch your breath during calmer tracks such as "Trail Of Tears", "Like A Paradise", and especially during the epic title track with its rhythmic variations. "The Prophecies is heavier, includes more fast songs than Timescape did, and also has some really grand guitar and keyboard solos," Jarno explains. "We went crazy in the studio." Certainly an opinion which is confirmed by a very experienced source. Guitar wonderboy David T. Chastain put it very well: "A lot of bands release a great debut album but just can"t keep up the standard on their second work. KENZINER are an exception. I think their new album is even better than their debut. And I say that, even though I think that "Timescape" is a classic." You can"t argue with that.