Vanden Plas - Beyond Daylight
Inside Out Records - 2002
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Inside Out Records web site.
Vanden Plas were completely unheard of to me before I recieved this album, but I think there's a possibility I may be checking them out a bit further in the future.
Playing progressive metal pretty much in the vein of Dream Theater with the occasional, more prominent classical music influence, Vanden Plas set out their stall right from the start. Containing all the classic prog-metal ingredients - nice long tracks, dazzling displays of instrumental virtuosity, solo duelling between guitarist and keyboard player - Beyond Daylight is an accomplished, worthy addition to any prog metal fan's collection.
They rock a bit harder than the average prog-metal band too - while Vanden Plas's mastery of their instruments might not quite be on a par with the Theater's, Vanden Plas can definitely make your head bang just that little bit more. That's not to say they can't mellow out when the fancy takes them - the pleasingly relaxing acoustic intro to 'Scarlet Flower Fields' gives a brief respite before a volume swell signals the return of the riffs.
Vanden Plas also have the knack of only writing long songs when they feel it necessary - so rather than having eight eleven-minute epics that drag in the mid-sections, the track-lengths vary from 4:10 ('Can You Hear Me') to the staggering title track which clocks in at 10:39.
Now, I'll admit that this style of music isn't normally my cup of tea, but Vanden Plas have succeeded in making my ears prick up. As a prog-metal album, it suffers a little from comparisons to Dream Theater, but taken on its own merits, it's a technically faultless album that's well worth a listen.
7/10
Inside Out Records - 2002
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Inside Out Records web site.
Vanden Plas were completely unheard of to me before I recieved this album, but I think there's a possibility I may be checking them out a bit further in the future.
Playing progressive metal pretty much in the vein of Dream Theater with the occasional, more prominent classical music influence, Vanden Plas set out their stall right from the start. Containing all the classic prog-metal ingredients - nice long tracks, dazzling displays of instrumental virtuosity, solo duelling between guitarist and keyboard player - Beyond Daylight is an accomplished, worthy addition to any prog metal fan's collection.
They rock a bit harder than the average prog-metal band too - while Vanden Plas's mastery of their instruments might not quite be on a par with the Theater's, Vanden Plas can definitely make your head bang just that little bit more. That's not to say they can't mellow out when the fancy takes them - the pleasingly relaxing acoustic intro to 'Scarlet Flower Fields' gives a brief respite before a volume swell signals the return of the riffs.
Vanden Plas also have the knack of only writing long songs when they feel it necessary - so rather than having eight eleven-minute epics that drag in the mid-sections, the track-lengths vary from 4:10 ('Can You Hear Me') to the staggering title track which clocks in at 10:39.
Now, I'll admit that this style of music isn't normally my cup of tea, but Vanden Plas have succeeded in making my ears prick up. As a prog-metal album, it suffers a little from comparisons to Dream Theater, but taken on its own merits, it's a technically faultless album that's well worth a listen.
7/10
