Reviewed by Stuart Blackburn

I really like the idea of an instrumental rock album and you almost have it here. Chunky rock riffs, driving bass and twiddly lead breaks abound. Unfortunately one third of the tracks carry vocals that just aren't quite right. Not tuneless but not tuneful enough. The musicianship is sound but there is too much reliance on reverb and delay. There is a variety of rock rhythms to hold the listener's interest but although most of the songs come in around four minutes some still seem repetitious. In spite of these criticisms there are plenty of very good ideas here. A savvy producer would easily be able to develop most of these tracks into crackers. Two versions of "Fusion" are included and provide the best glimpse of the band's potential. I assume this CD has been released on a shoestring. If I had a big pot of money I would send The Eden Prophecy back into the studio to more fully exploit their potential.

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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