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Line-up:
Arno Menses -
Vocals
Markus Steffen - Guitars
Oliver Holzwarth - Bass
Alex Holzwarth - Drums
Tracklist:
01. Intro: Navigating By The Stars 0:29
02. Sequence 1: The Weight 10:13
Sequence 2: The Lonely Views Of Condors 06:14
Sequence 3: Unbreakable 08:59
Sequence 4: Stigmata 08:22
Sequence 5: Blue Wide Open 05:13
Sequence 6: To The Ones Who Have Failed 07:26
Sequence 7: Lighthouse 07:41
Sequence 8: Styx 08:55
Website:
www.siegeseven.com Check
also:
Surprise Of October 2005
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Most of
the times high expectations lead us to broken wings (and lost dreams).
Imagine however what is the feeling when you understand that your
expectations are not only met, but the result is beyond them. These
are the times that you remain speechless, staring at the walls around
you, trying to come round from what has just hit you. Well, this is my
condition for more than ten days now - since the first time I listened
to this modern masterpiece of the German band. All these days the CD
is “nailed” within the CD-player and I keep listening to it all
day long. I have been to such a condition rarely: with Unjust’s
“Glow”, Dream Theater’s “Scenes From A Memory”, Saviour
Machine’s “II”, Pain Of Salvation’s “The Perfect Element pt
I” and a couple more albums.
For
those who don’t know the band, I can only say that Sieges Even have
created (according to my opinion) the best progressive album ever
(anyway definitely among the top 5), that monumental “A Sense Of
Change” back in 1991. Since then guitarist Markus Steffen left the
band, which released two more albums - more commercialized. Now Markus
is back and with a new vocalist, Arno Menses even offer us the best
progressive album of the past few years. A lyrical masterpiece that
will touch anyone who has heart, soul and feelings. The album (which
in essence is one song divided in 8 parts) begins from where “A
Sense Of Change” had finished 14 years ago. I can say that it seems
to be its natural sequence - but don’t even dare to think that it is
a repetition. It couldn’t ever be so, as the psycho - divine vocals
of Jogi Kaiser have been substituted by the more humane ones of
Menses.
The new
album seems to be more “warm”, humane, direct and at times heavier
- trying to point out the differences from “A Sense Of Change”.
The band keeps giving lessons of musical capability, with the skills
of any one musician separately creating a feeling of awe to all of us.
But Sieges managed to create an album that is not only for musicians,
but for all those who love qualitative music. Lyrical moments,
acoustic themes, deranged solos and improvisations, very limited use
of keyboards, loads of atmosphere (a rather spacey one) and amazing
melodies constitute this masterpiece. For those who are not familiar
with the sound of the band, I can say that they should imagine a
mixture of Soul Cages, Fates Warning, Pain Of Salvation, but yet again
Sieges have their own trademark sound and it is sacrilegious to say
that they sound like any other band.
The
songs are long (of course), with an average duration of 8 minutes
each. I don’t know how many can appreciate these days such an album.
I really hope that more and more will open themselves to accept this
great band and this magnificent record. We, the few prog metal/rock
followers, really needed this album. Especially after the average last
effort by Dream Theater and the totally uninspired Shadow Gallery’s
“Room V”, which disappointed us in the worst possible way. Now we
are proud again, and we are already boarding for this trip which will
navigate us by the stars. Hope that it will last forever. The only
question is “will the view from there be frightening”?....
by Alex Savatianos 10/10
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