Now this is perhaps the most anticipated release of 1999 for die-hard prog metal fans. Finally, this masterpiece of a cd from the highly talented five- piece Dali`s Dilemma (former Chaos Theory) is soon to be released (early april). As many of you know, Dali`s Dilemma feature the talents Of Matt Guillory (keys) who is an up and coming star. He has already contributed on many recent cds such as Zero Hour, James Murphy, Working Man project, Explorer`s Club, various Shrapnel cds etc. The cd has 10 songs and clocks in at approximately 51 minutes. Stylewise this is prog metal in the tradition of early Dream Theater, Zero Hour etc. where each bandmember are masters

of their instruments. Besides the awesome vocals of Matthew Bradley, the songs are focused around the heavy guitars of Patrick Reyes and the majestic keys of Matt Guillory which is absolutely stunning. Reyes pulls off technical finesses and catchy powerful staccato riffs on song after song. And I`m very impressed by the variation in Guillorys sound and playing.

Also worth mentioning is the powerful and technical drumming of Jeremy Colson, and the virtuous bassplaying of Steve Reyes which make this five- piece technically complete. On top of the technical brilliance is the vocals of Matthew Bradley (did one song on the Explorer`s Club cd) which is strong and powerful, and the best I`ve heard in a long time.

Besides the obvious advantage of being technically complete, is the fact that these guys show a very mature side as songwriters and has the ability of making extremely strong melodies and melodylines. There is not one single bad track on this cd, each song is a powerful, melodic and technical Masterpiece, which reflects a very confident band. The production is excellent, but some might find it a bit polished compared to the demos from the Chaos Theory days.

This cd is a must for all fans of prog metal and stand out as one of the best prog metal albums ever released. I`m full of words of praise about this band and can`t wait to hear what they can come up with in the future. I rate this album to 10 points out of 10. A classic in its own !

The first album of this newcomer band qualifies as typical progressive metal with a slightly commercial bent. Its closest counterpart is certainly DT's "Awake", which influences pertain the whole release, yet with much more blues-rock scales. The classic elements of prog metal are featured: odd meter, time and signature changes, etc. albeit commercial themes are predominant. Hence, the typical song structure is built of a main blues-rock theme and a catchy chorus, the central part of the track allowing more space for the progressive variations and elements. The quality of the songs is very unequal, some compositions being so commercial as to sound like U2. On the other hand, the skills of the musicians are outstanding: keyboards and guitar players display extraordinary virtuosity and technique, yet remaining pleasant and groovy in their solos. The bass lines also excellent and optimally mixed at the production. The singer is the least appealing; his voice has a limited range, alternating soft and whispering tones with more raspy vocals. Overall and excellent album. The only regret: too much commercial compromising.