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Creation’s End

A New Beginning

Review by Gary Hill

There are certainly people who would consider this heavy metal. It’s an interesting blend of metal and progressive rock that just plain scorches. There’s not a weak song on show and the album pounds in with a great intensity and maintains it throughout. This is an exceptional release, whether you consider it progressive rock or metal.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2010  Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Of Shadow And Flame

There is a lot of heavy metal built into this soaring cut, but I’d consider it closer to Dream Theater styled progressive rock than metal. The vocals, though, remind me of Klaus Meine from Scorpions. However you slice it, though, this is an energized and powerful number that has some interesting twists and turns while still feeling very cohesive. All that said, there is a slower grind later that is more like real heavy metal. They shift it out from there, though, into something that’s a bit weird and more purely prog than anything to that point. There is some killer keyboard work on this thing.

World Holocaust
Much of this is more purely metal than the opener, but there is still some progressive rock to be found here. In fact, there are a couple sections that call to mind a harder rocking Yes. There’s a killer melodic jam later, too.
Hollow
This is a much mellower number. It’s quite firmly set in the world of modern progressive rock. It does power up after a while, but still fits closer into prog than metal.
Dissociate
There’s plenty of metal in this, but the powerhouse arrangement is more progressive rock in terms of the explorative nature of the music. A cool, but rather weird (in a good way) musical section is included mid-track.
Still Life
The metal meets progressive rock approach of this cut is similar to the other music on show here. At times I’m reminded of Yes again and I can hear Rush at points, too. All in all, this is one of the cooler cuts on show, even though the overall picture isn’t changed all that music. There’s a killer instrumental section mid-song. It’s one of the most involved and complex pieces on the album. I’d peg it as a highlight.
Forsaken
The second longest track on show, this has very little metal, although it’s quite straightforward in some ways. In fact, it’s also one of the last proggy pieces. It’s another killer tune on an album that is simply rife with them. There is a cool keyboard dominated movement later, though, that’s more prog-like. A classically tinged jam takes it for a short time after that, too.
Relic
This one is more purely metal, but there is still progressive rock to be found in it. It’s perhaps not as strong as some of the other music on the disc. Although, if your tastes run more to metal, you might think it’s the best track so far. At just over five and a half minutes in length it’s also the shortest song on the album.
Creation's End
The closer and title track is the longest piece on show, weighing in at an epic eleven minutes plus. The intro on this makes me think at times of fusion and at other points of Rush. A burst of metal hits and then they modulate out into an Eastern tinged jam that’s quite cool. They drop it way down for a balladic movement for the first lyrics. It powers out after a while in some rather metallic sounds. There is a cool expansive jam later in the piece with some interesting guitar soloing. They take it into some territory that’s close to klesmer music later. From there it comes back to the song proper. Another twisting jam emerges with some definite nods to Dream Theater. Around the eight and a half minute mark they take it into a triumphant sounding, soaring chorus. That motif is built upon as the group continues forward. Then the Eastern sounds return for a fast paced jam. A mellow, melodic section ends the album.
 
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