11/02/02

VANDEN PLAS / BEYOND DAYLIGHT

I was first introduced to this band by my good friends Jon and Gez at loud 1 mail order several years ago and have looked forward to each release with bated breath. Vanden Plas are a German Progressive Metal band and return with their best album yet, it’s been a good 2 years since Far Off Grace, but it has been worth the weight. If you haven’t heard of these guys before you are in for a treat blending powerful, sometimes Yes ish melodies with an unmistakable power and subtlety that is their trademark.

You only have to listen to the track "Cold Wind" which start’s off with a simple piano refrain and build up into a classic piece of Hard Rock but they do know when to back off with the power chords and let powerful songs come shining through. Their musicianship is second to none and their ability to write a song 7 minutes long and keep your interested without wondering when it’s going to end is a lesson for all. "Beyond Daylight" is a 10 minute epic (that I promise I will play in it’s entirety on the next Mega Metal Marathon on HFM when I will do my mind-blowing 8 hour Rock Show or maybe longer?) and like Dream Theater goes through several mood changes but keeps you hooked all of the time.

This is a fantastic CD well representative of what is going on in Europe and that is the only problem, some media still have a problem with European bands, with no cause that I can see when if it was an American band their praises couldn’t be sung high enough. If you only make one impulsive by this year, make it this one, you know Justin won’t let you down, I only put top quality reviews on my site and if I am not totally convince I will not put it on. Initial pressing comes in a rather snazzy hard back CD book with an extra track.

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 60 mins + 10 tracks