Music and Metal especially, have no frontiers or Nationality, coming from Lebanon here is : Amadeus Awad a guitarist and composer born and raised in this territory of the Middle-East ravaged by the war, "The Book Of Gates" is the first internationally published studio work by this ambitious musician!

The Ep itself displays a typical Operatic concept with a few characters and a strong Egyptian thematic backbone in the story line, crafted in the AYREON/AINA or AVANTASIA tradition, the line-up is enhanced by famous guest known as the usual suspects of Prog Metal: SYMPHONY X's Russell Allen doing his best Tenor demonstration in the "Pharaoh" role, Amanda Somerville (TRILLIUM/AVANTASIA), Keyboardist Kevin Moore (OSI/CHROMA KEY/ex-DREAM THEATER), and the legendary John Macaluso (ex-ARK/ex-TNT/ex-RIOT/ex-MALMSTEEN) on drums. Of course the superb voice of Sir Allen (ADRENALINE MOB/SPACE ONE) is the strongest asset of this recording and each intervention is splendid and jubilant as always with this immensely talented singer.

As expected the virtuosic guitar of Mr Awad takes the lion share and his Prog Metal is heavily orchestrated by numerous layers of stringed instruments and a few exotic flavors, the pace is mostly on the famous headbanging tempo, the songs are catchy but the epic shuffle is somehow restricted by the short length of the Ep's format.For good measure and to complete the release comes with another three tracks Ep "Schizanimus" previously released in 2013, also pretty interesting with a high level of technicality, notably the cut "Poetry Of Time" with its complex drum pattern.

Definitely it's a good introduction for this high potential Musician, once again PowerProg Records affirm its position at the edge of the curiosity by giving to Amadeus Awad with this Ep a great worldwide exposure.