Winds Imaginary Direction Of Time CD

 prog rock with great substance..
well what can i say? probably one of the best bands ive ever heard..cant wait for their new album..i already developed a new habit of listening to it everyday..one word, BUY IT! (probably two.)hehe
Submitted by raprap (victorias city, philippines)
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 Forward-thinking progressive metal.
This Norwegian outfit have been on the scene for number years now, producing a few demos and two full-length albums, with ‘The imaginary direction of Time’ being the sophomore release from them. They are a band that are totally unique, having no obvious influences as a reference point, so it is extremely difficult to categorize their sound as a whole assortment of diverse instruments have been utilized, for example violin’s cello’s and piano to name just a few. The music can be described as melodic progressive metal, but with the aforementioned instruments, there are elements of classical music as well. The classical influence can be heard at the start of each song, either a violin or piano setting the mood, making this the bands trademark sound and placing them in a league of their own. The piano work of Andy Winter is superb, totally enriching the sound to create an atmosphere of mellowness along with drawing the listener into the music. Sole guitarist, Carl August Tidemann, has to be placed on a pedestal with the likes of Malmsteen and Petrucci as he encompasses such an amazing talent, incorporating eloquence, gracefulness and subtleness into his technique of guitar playing. There are however no guitar solos to relish in, which in the greater scheme of things would probably detract from the overall feel of the music. Vocalist, Lars Eric Si, is an absolute treasure with his voice fitting the Winds sound to perfection. He is a man in total control of his voice, using a subtle mid to high range approach, but never raising his voice to the extreme. The drumming supplied by Jan Axel Von Blomberg (a.k.a. Hellhammer from Black metal merchants Mayhem) includes a nice warm, rich feel to the rhythm section, fusing well with the rest of the music. Mention must be made of the great cover artwork. Those of you who listen to different genres of metal music have probably at some point in time come across the work of the hugely talent graphic artist, Travis Smith. The artwork is very different as to what we would expect to see from Smith, going for a more simplistic look by using shapes, lines and paint-splotches compared to his usual graphics of hands, feet, faces and trees all super imposed over one another. The inner booklet is well laid out making the lyrics and easy read without trying to navigate through a plethora of different colours and diverse graphics. The clarity of the production is stupendous with each instrument being clearly heard within the context of the music, but at no stage do the proceedings feel forced or compromised. This is a band that is truly in change of their own destiny, creating a masterpiece that will set a benchmark for other like-minded bands to follow. The best way to enjoy ‘The imaginary direction of Time’ is to mellow out and relax with a glass of wine, dim the lights and let the music take you on a journey like never before! It is just superb from beginning to end and afterwards the finger will hit the play button for the second time, as one play is not enough!
Submitted by Transcendence (Adelaide, Australia)
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 Quiet metal?
yeah this type of metal isn't easy to catigorize at all. Clean vocals, heavy piano and violins. But the guitars and drums still ring clear. Perfect album to listen to during a storm or late at night. Almost like Prog metal meets easy listening. Interesting to see what they do in future
Submitted by Greg K. (Toront, Ontario Canada)
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