Here is a Progressive Metal band I am coming across for the first time (pure logic since I never was a fan of Progressive Metal). AGE OF NEMESIS came in for review after THRESHOLD's incredible - according to Michael - Dead Reckoning. As he said, there are not many original acts around and I am here to tell you if AGE OF NEMESIS deserves to be in your CD collection.

AGE OF NEMESIS is a Hungarian act, which was formed in 2005 in Szekesfehervar. Even though they exist only for two years they have already released one more album, their debut one, which was also released through Magna Carta. The band was formerly known as NEMESIS (1997-2005). Let's see if their new start as a band and the release of their second full-length album hides any pleasant surprises.

My Progressive Metal knowledge is not so great but I think I can judge this band's album pretty fairly. So, trying to be as objective as possible, I can say that their music is nothing more than a DREAM THEATER based effort. Even though they are technically skilled and they seem to have 2-3 nice ideas, they don't seem able to earn the listener's interest throughout the whole album. They also seem to have fallen into the classic Prog Metal trap, which is the album's duration. I think that approximately one hour and seven minutes of something that is not so different from many stuff that are being released out there is not the best hour of your life. Of course we are not talking about a bad album but you see, all these melodies and technical solos end up being extremely boring. It is just that some people don't seem to understand that the listener cares for the overall result and the good music, not the technical skills of a band. Progressive Metal has really been devoured by its own bands. Thank God that bands like PAIN OF SALVATION, TOOL and COMMUNIC are still out there to remind us that there are many experimentations to be done!

I still haven't decided what the rating should be. To tell you the truth, when it comes to Progressive Metal, I can be really harsh since I am not a fan and I want to listen to some fresh and different stuff. Not a bad album, but an album that is lost in mediocrity...