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| Vanden Plas - Beyond Daylight Classification: Pop Band: Vanden Plas Tracks: - Nightwalker - Cold Wind - Scarlet Flower Fields - Healing Tree - End of All Days - Free the Fire - Can You Hear Me - Phoenix - Beyond Daylight - Point of Know Return [*] Beautifully melodic I found this little known gem highly recommended in the metal community after searching for music in the vein of Dream Theater and Symphony x, two great bands. However I have noticed that many people think Vanden Plas are a DT clone as they have supported them in gigs and the music lies in the secluded world of prog rock/metal. This is utterly untrue, Vanden Plas in fact have created a brilliant fusion of all the elements the make prog metal great, crunching guitar riffs, beautiful melodies with great hooks and time changes and atmospheric keyboards. Vanden Plas create their own signature sound via their atmosphere, which in my opinion is more emotive than Dream Theater but they do it with tremendous subtlety which something DT lack. Another element they have over DT is the vocals, I personally think James Labrie is a little OTT, Andy Kuntz however suits prog metal much better, cleaner, crispier and more emotive without going the Sugar and spice route of Labrie who sounds more like a pop Idol to me. You don't get the gradiose, complex and passages of Dream Theater but Vanden Plas can still run with DT. The guitar solos are melodic and well thought albeit sparse again a feature of Plass's classy subtlety and the keyboards by Gunter Werno and wonderfully skilful and melodic, the ace in the pack. The production is faultless, nothing more to say. The Band are so tight and on the same level, no ego in this bunch although they all have the class to showboat, they do however posses a Euro style flair and their music much appreciated by the French. That's just the music, the songwriting somehow manages to match the music, a soulful Journey with poetic like class, Scarlet Flower Fields had the potential to be a smash hit but the world cannot digest such a sound, yet. I'm completely sold by these Germans to whom people think make awful music and I will be extending my Vanden Plass collection and you should be starting yours! Melodic progressive metal at it's finest! In many ways, Vanden Plas is Germany's answer to Dream Theater. Yep, another Dream Theater-influenced progressive metal band. Talk about originality! Seriously, though, while many of these bands are nothing to write home about, I believe that Vanden Plas is the best of the bunch. I'll even go so far to say that Vanden Plas is actually better than Dream Theater, or at least better at doing what Dream Theater does. "Sacrilege!", you say. I hear cries of, "Burn the fool!" Well, let me put it this way: I like Vanden Plas better than Dream Theater. Whether or not they are actually superior to the prog metal gods is a decision to be made between you and your family. Even if you stick by the Old Ways of Dream Theater, Vanden Plas is a worthy progressive metal Band that deserves a spot in your collection. Especially this album. It's chock full of ingredients that make for great melodic metal: big chunky riffs, soaring keyboard melodies, catchy and complex songs, and brilliantly beautiful vocals. The vocalist, Andy Kuntz, really sounds a lot like James LaBrie of Dream Theater fame, only slightly more powerful. Though the marathon egomaniacal solos (not that they're a bad thing!) of Dream Theater are not implemented by Vanden Plas, there ARE plenty of great solos, courtesy of both guitar and keyboard. Speaking of keyboard, Gunter Werno is one of the best keyboardists ever. Not for insane shredding ala Vitalij Kuprij, but for the amazingly melodic textures he spins into the backgrounds of the songs. Gunter also does the keyboards for Angra (another awesome band), which is how I first heard his impressive keywork. Going back to the vocals, the way Andy harmonizes his singing is fantastic. The Focus in Vanden Plas is less about showing off, and more about writing memorably melodic metal tunes. While it's not as complex and long as Dream Theater songs, Beyond Daylight is a remarkably refreshing prog treat for fans of the genre. Excellent prog metal I wasn't sure what to expect from this band, my only previous encounter was with the very talented keyboardist (Gunter Werno) on DC Cooper's (fantastic) solo release. But fans of prog have been positive about this lot, so I went for it. <BR>And they're very good. VERY good. Remind me in some ways of "Images" era Dream Theater as far as song construction and instrumental sections go. The guitarist is very good, he can shred along with the best on 'em, although he's just a bit more restrained than Mr Petrucci - this Band like instrumental passages to be just that, rather than a collection of solos. The drummer is also extremely good, but more restrained than Mike Portnoy, something I appreciate (Dream Theater over-use the Double bass drums IMHO). And the vocalist. Other reviews of past releases by Vanden Plas have been critical of the vocals. I can see why, he doesn't have the most powerful voice in prog, it's quite clean (cleaner than James LaBrie), and certainly not from the "Geoff Tate" school of singers. He does use his diaphragm well in places, and also occasionally throws in a rasp that's not a million miles away from Vince Neil (Motley Crue)! He can reach the high notes, and choruses tend to be constructed of layered vocals and harmonies, which more than compensated for the slight thin-ness that higher notes produces. And no screaming. One thing worth mentioning is the strength of the song-writing. The choruses have good, memorable hooks, and satisfy the ear in a way that quite a few other prog releases fail to, despite the skills of the band. Basically these guys have the lot, and the production more than makes up for any star losses I might have imposed for the vocals. Dunno about pervious material, this ROCKS! 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