(Rated this album with 8 out of 10) Reviewed by
daniel knouse
from vancouver, washington United States
While there are some excellent songs here, this album simply is not the "masterpiece" that so many claim. As it has been noted before, the structure of this album is reminiscent of their previous, more inspired effort, "Dark Saga." I have the feeling that so many fans think this is their best work because the album ends with the furious "Something Wicked Trilogy." "The Coming Curse" is easily one of the finer songs here, and it does leave a great impression as the final track, but there are some average moments on other songs, as well as some mediocre tracks. "1776" is just not that enthralling as an intrumental, coming off more like a re-hash of Iron Maiden's "Losfer Words." "Disciples of the Lie" sounds like forced aggression, but perhaps it's the way it was produced. To me, it just doesn't sound honest enough. There are some sing-along songs here that work much better in a live context than in the studio version, making the versions on "Alive in Athens" far superior. However, the final "Trilogy" is noteworthy, as are a couple other tracks. This is a good album, but "Burnt Offerings" is more sinister, and "Dark Saga" is more inspired. So many of the tracks on this album are more heartfelt on "Alive in Athens" which makes this album superflous for those who own that magnificent live album. Completists may disagree.
