Reviewed by Andy Shaw

Jacobs Dream are veterans of the Christian power metal world and this is their fifth album. 'Beneath The Shadows' follows the story of a man who falls into a life of drugs and loses everything he loves as a result. This leads to him then looking beyond himself to try and find meaning in life ultimately finding redemption. This album sees the band's sound heading in a more melodic direction and the result is possibly their most accomplished album to date. There are plenty of catchy guitar hooks particularly on album opener "Welcome To My World" and title-track "Beneath The Shadows". A good variety in tempo and feel throughout the album make it an engaging listen with acoustic tracks "The Darkest Hour" and "Reborn In Fire" providing a welcome break from the intense heaviness of the guitars. The standout track for me was "Stain", a track that starts with a message from the man's partner saying she is leaving and taking the kids with her. It starts out with an acoustic intro before the heavy guitars kick in with yet another catchy hook. The song continues with intricate guitar work in the chorus and excellent melodies from singer Chaz Bond. For those of you who are Jacobs Dream fans this is definitely worth getting as it's arguably their best album to date. If you are new to them and a fan of the power/progressive metal genre and bands such as Queensryche then this is an album to investigate.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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