The Court Of Eternity

I knew pretty much what to expect as I popped the disc into the stereo - strong and intricate power metal. While the band's first venture into the realm of metal - Solum Mente Infirmis, could in some way be referred to as a bastard mix of Rage and Fates Warning (with some Hendrix influences thrown into the mix), the new disc is much more straightforward, and thus MUCH easier to get into...imagine if you will, a deft mix of Iced Earth, Jag Panzer, and the aforementioned Rage, and you can pretty much paint a pretty picture of what the 59:59 minutes holds in store for you. There's also a hint of prog, mainly in terms of the keyboard and synth work, and that adds very nicely to the overall effect as well. The band is very talented across the board, with deep & soaring vox, Blackmore-ish guitarwork, and strong bass. The drumwork on the other hand could defenitely stand some MAJOR improvement - I'm not sure whether this relates to the production or simply the drummer's lack of skill, but the sound is very treble and canned on most songs; this shouldn't stop you from enjoying the actual MUSIC, but I still found it to be pretty damn annoying on the first few listens.

Now then, the songs...the album kicks off with the strong 'Crusade of Lies' - powerful riffs and epic chorus, plus the Orwellian lyrics - a bit reminiscent of 'Greedmachine' off the previous disc, though much more straightforward. Great stuff. 'Room Eleven' is pretty similar, with an even more bombastic chorus, and faster refrain. The album often slows down to great tracks such as 'Fever Dream' and 'Don't Close Your Eyes' - plenty of paranoid emotion in both, whereas a more Psychotic Waltz influence comes through on the 7+ minute 'Mirror Man' and the dark and hateful 'Dark Desire', which has some cool keys in the verse(s). Atop the heap, are the album's top tracks - 'Nature's Revenge', 'Final Hour', and the title track. A pounding rhythm gives way to a very Virgin Steele-ish chorus in 'Court of Eternity', and 'Nature's Revenge' makes up for the shitty drumming with it's epic and sweeping verse/chorus combo. 'Final Hour', on the other hand, is a much slower track which starts off with some great acoustic work, before thickening up to a very emotion-laden last 5 or so minutes. Awesome track!! The album ends off with another great, albeit weird song - the 9 minute 'Fool pt. 3 - Only Blood Makes Me Sane' (continuation of 'Solum Mente Infirmis' and 'Fool' off the previous disc) - very progressive throughout, with some crazy lyrics; this one takes several listens to fully absorb you though.

So what can I say? This is a great album despite some flaws (mainly the drumwork), and I highly recommend it to fans of Jag Panzer, Iced Earth, Rage, and some of the power/prog acts (i.e. Symphony X). Damn good stuff, to say the least...