Metal Reviews

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So is this or is this not another Dream Theater clone?

I can't seem to get my head around these guys. While they're obvious prog, they're more of a European style prog rather than DT.

I think they're trying to have their own identity and they add a lot of melodic elements (somewhat akin to Fates Warning), while keeping the technicality of progressive always in sight.

It's just that when I hear DT I feel my head feeling with music. Great prog is so varied and there's little accidental parts. Xystus managed to do that, but they're not consisent.

The production could've been better too. The guy has a pretty interesting voice, but most times he's overshadowed by the instrumental parts. I would've liked to have more prominent keyboard work too.

But all in all they're really good and I'm glad to see bands going towards prog rather than power. There's a lot of new teritorry in prog and it's a shame there's not more bands in this area.

Great CD.

Man, it took a while for this to download. This was actually pretty good. Prog metal usually takes two or three spins for me to really hear what the band is doing, but after my first listen I'll give it a 70/100.

I really liked this album. not too much of a DT clone - it's faster and there's less 'oh look how fucking great we are' solos (Not that I don't like those solos, but they get annoying sometimes).


95/100

I still stand by my score above. Definitely not a copy cat band, but nothing spectacular either. Still makes for a good listen when I'm in my more progressive moods.

Wow!

I really like this album!
This is more Melodic and more European kind of metal as some of you said:


A lot of elements, like the voice, remind me some Icewind.
I really enjoyed this album, it is changing a lot, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Sometimes the drum is pounding hard, other times it is the "double-bass-rolling-at-250-BPM"

I would give it a big nice 90/100. [/quote]

I got this from a friend a while ago and never actually listened to it carefully devoting the proper attention. Lately I listened to it a couple of times and it's quite an amazing album. Very good heavy prog metal, deserving around 90/100.

Since my last post about this one, I've let it come and go into my playlist unintentionally, always because I could not remember what exactly this Xystus band was...

I am now certain of one thing. This is an amazing album by some really gifted musicians. The production is really good, one can enjoy this either as a ensemble of instruments or as individual performances. About the last, I'd give special mention on the keyboardist and the singer who both show easily but unobtrusively how good they are at what they do. This album needs time to grow. The songs are catchy but not in the usual catchy way. They are progressive, they are metal and they are rock at the same time. If you start listening to this trying to compare them with other bands then you've already lost part of the essence that makes them so great, which is originality and freshness. The melodic elements are overflowing in there, not a thing usually encountered in works that are so progressive but in this album there exists such a delicate balance. My quote at the moment is up to 95 (and I consider myself to be a very hard critic, especially when giving numerical quotes).

Finally I would like to quote the reviewer on a point where I totally agree with him:


I've read that they have a new (2007 release) album out called Surreal but I did not have the chance to listen to it yet. I'd welcome any info on that one.