From their EPK, "The Parson's Tale," is an abstract look at the seven deadly sins, each illustrated by a story and each accompanied by its corresponding virtue, hosted by emcee and game show host, Lucifer himself. The more ideas came together, the more excited everyone got and the more we had a clear definition of just how great this was going to be. It's going to be a wild ride." The album has nine songs, and "Angel of Light" is first. The opening piano tones are ominous, and a weighted passage follows, slow, grinding, and emotionally crushing. In the chorus, the extended notes give me a bit of a Power Metal feeling, and there is a good deal of emotions behind it.

"Black Hole Heart" comes out of the gate with a totally low and punishing riff, and the key of the vocals and the music are in incongruence. It makes the music feel dissonant, and this isn't meant to be an easy listening experience. Once again, the vocals soar. "I Am Your God" involves some spoken word to keep the tale on the forefront of your mind. The vocals are delivered with a snarl this time, and the music remains quite dark. "I Am Your God," he declares loudly. "Hate Loving You" is longest, at just under nine minutes. It begins with a phone conversation between father and daughter. The piano notes and vocals are tender, and declarative. The chorus is rich and full, sporting emotional vocal harmonies, and the question of "why does the sun shine on you?"

"My Poison" hears the tale continue with a scene in a coffee shop, and then thick, meaty bass notes roll up like a storm cloud on the horizon. "I'm your poison, I'm your shame" he snarls, hinting at the deadly sin of gluttony. "Trapped in Ice" is another that begins with ominous sounding piano notes, but this time, it takes a sharp right into a jovial melody that is quite pleasing. I must admit, I like these positive songs more than the darker ones, but each is important in the tale. "I Am Cain" features a steady opening sequence that could be considered positive, but again, thick bass notes roll in with a riff and drums that are dark and crushing. The band seems equally adept at both styles on the album. "Forgiven" closes the tale. "Don't want to think about the life I've torn to shreds" he declares. That's a powerful lyric line for me. The music moves fast, and you get a sense of the band's strong musicianship.

I always appreciate a good Progressive music album set to a theme. The spoken words helped to keep the story on track, and the music shifted from dark to spots of light at times, although in keeping with the theme, it was mostly done in the shadows. The band's musicianship was strong, and I would like to hear more from them.