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Hell. Yes.

This is a prog masterpiece, plain and simple. Vanden Plas fans already know about the band's signature sound of super-crunchy prog meeting spacey atmosphere, but while almost every one of their albums has that signature Vanden Plas magic, this one just has that certain something. Every single note and every phrase of every instrument is completely perfect and totally impossible to put into words. This just sounds like something beamed from space, or crafted by angels, whatever you want to say, it sounds not-of-this-world and completely perfect. Be it the crazy time-signature changes on "Nightwalker," the indescribable beauty of "Scarlet Flower Fields" and "Cold Wind," the heart-breakingly convincing ballad "Healing Tree," or the destructive romp of "End of All Days," "Free the Fire," and "Phoenix," every song is gold. Not to mention the incredible epic that is the title track. That song alone is worth the price of admission; it just has everything that you can hear on the album in spades.

Unfortunately, I know that many simply would not like this album, and I can't really blame them; it takes a LOOOOOOOONG time to hear everything it has to offer, but most prog fans have accepted that the greats of the genre are always growers. This is no different, and any self-respecting prog fan needs this in their collection. Make no mistake; this is THE essential album from this band.

Additional Information

US edition comes with a bonus track, a cover of Kansas' "Point of Know Return."