DREAM OCEAN were formed in 2009 by vocalist Başak Ylva and guitarist Oz Khan in Turkey. The band is now based in Cologne, Germany. They are a symphonic Metal band and, after releasing one EP and one full-length album, "The Missing Stone" is their second album. It was mixed and mastered by Christoff Borg. "The Missing Stone" is an independent release and it has a length of almost 54 minutes.

I have been reviewing a few symphonic Metal albums recently, but "The Missing Stone" sounds different compared to all others. It may have something to do with the orchestral arrangements that seems to be pretty dominant in most parts of the album. "The Missing Stone" starts with a tension-building orchestral intro that transitions at its bombastic peak into "Dark Miracles" which is a fast melodic track dominated by the string section which overshadows the guitar riffing, bass lines, and the drums. Focal point of "Dark Miracles" are the vocals of Başak Ylva who shows her enormous vocal skills and range during the track.

"Pendulum Of Time" and "The Great Silence" are classical mid-tempo tracks. "Pendulum Of Time" includes heavy and dark guitar riffing. The orchestral part is dominant during most of the track, but very well integrated into the song structure. The orchestral contribution is based on strings and the piano. The middle part is more Metal-dominated including a very well contributing lead guitar solo. The keyboards are used extensively and I am not sure whether that improves the track. "The Great Silence" includes sharp and catchy guitar riffs and the orchestra sounds very bombastic with the full arsenal of string and brass.

The first real highlight of the album is "As I Die" with its catchiness in melodies and rhythm, the lead guitar solo, and the vocals. Başak Ylva shows her outstanding talent (not only on this track) as a vocalist and she does not need to be afraid to go head-to-head with the big names in symphonic Metal. "As I Die" is already the fifth single release and the YouTube link is given below. "As I Die" is a bit less dominated by the orchestral arrangements and so is "Daydreamer". The Metal parts with the guitars, bass, and drums are cleaner, the string section is present, but not overly dominant. The guitar riffing is heavy and the lead guitar solo includes some very contributing melodies. For me, "Daydreamer" is another highlight of the album. The final song "Uyan" is the Turkish version of "Daydreamer".

"Song To The Ocean" is entirely a symphonic track and that works really well towards the strengths of Başak Ylva's vocals. It is also a prequel to the bombastic 10 minutes' banger "The Missing Stone" which has everything the symphonic Metal fan can possibly hope for: catchy melodies, heavy guitars, and comprehensive orchestral arrangements. It is simply a rollercoaster of emotions and the highlight on the album.

DREAM OCEAN deliver a good symphonic Metal album. "The Missing Stone" has its strengths in its bombastic orchestral arrangements although the balance swings often too much towards the orchestra. The outstanding highlight are the vocal contribution of Başak Ylva who takes on the leading role in every song and keeps the songs together. The album is very diverse and especially the title song shows how good the band's songwriting is. "The Missing Stone" is very well produced. Fans of symphonic Metal will like the album and DREAM OCEAN is surely a band to watch out in the future.