I have been playing it for about 10 days now (thanks to Ken Golden's super fast service). I am digging it more and more with each spin. That said, I never understood the flak Artemisia received from many a fan, and I still hold it in high regard. Obviously the debut is still my favourite because it's simply the first album that melded Liquid Tension Experiment with Dream Theater and Meshuggah so seamlessly. The second disc veered into more melodic territory with more harmony vocals and stuff. This new strikes the perfect balance it seems, though it is a lot less fusiony than their first. The crunchy tone is prevalant and the vocal hooks abound. I really love that there are both guitar and keyboard solos here, with varied tone selections and stuff. Not since the first Circus Maximus album has another band achieved these unison leads so perfectly. I've already expressed my thoughts on the production, the mastering being a bit too compressed and loud for my tastes. In that respect, it can be likened to the second Spheric Universe Experience disc, but compositionally this one surpasses that album.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?