I have only recently come across this 2013 album, the third from this Swedish project led by Carl Westholm (Carptree). This is very much in the progressive metal area, coming across as being fairly similar to Ayreon in many ways. It is bombastic, over the top, with the guitars providing a grinding bottom edge for the keyboards to lift over, and there will be many progheads who will find the intensity, energy and sheer heaviness just too much for them. But, given that I listen to extreme metal as much as I do to prog then I find it absolutely fine.

There are times when it is symphonic, and during “Invasion” the intensity levels just keep growing and one wonders if they are going to be able to hold it all together. The layers of sound just keep coming, like a wall of music, in a way that I normally associate with Devin Townsend but here with more variety and dynamics. There is a clear understanding from Westholm that music needs to be soft to also be hard, delicate to also be robust, and at times there is the impression that there is an orchestra of metal all being conducted to pull it all together. Those into symphonic metal and/or prog metal should seek this out.

– Kev Rowland