What a lovely album! Yes, in the middle of the reissues' storm that Nuclear Blast Records is promoting, some great and good albums are appearing, giving them a new chance. And as some great names are really not doing albums by now that can be said as relevant, it's a good opportunity to know the works from bands as ECHOES OF ETERNITY, a fine quartet from United States, that besides it's on a hiatus by now, has its second album "The Forgotten Ones" (from 2009) released a second time.

The band plays a heavy and tender musical way of Progressive Metal. It's not musically worked as DREAM THEATER, not symphonic as NIGHTWISH, and not as heavy as SYMPHONY X, but their songs are very fine, with very good dose of creative power, turning their songs extremely particular. The vocals are fine and melodic (remind a bit the style of Liv Kristine singing, for it's a girl singing here), very good and powerful riffs, a great and heavy work done by bass guitar and drums on the rhythmic session, and with violins (played by Robert Anderson) and cellos (by Elizabeth Wright) on "The Kingdom Within" and "Adrift". So you can say that it's not the eighth world wonder, but of course it's very good.

The album's production is very good, a fine work from Eric Ryan (producer, who was with the band doing the recording and mixing of the album) and Achim "Akeem" Köhler (who did the album mastering), and them both did their best, for their songs are sounding clear and heavy in the due way. Of course some tunes on guitars could be better in some parts, but it's not bad. Pointing to their best songs: "Expressions Of Flesh" with very good and excellent riffs, along with perfect tempo changes; the elegant and tender "Voices In A Dream" (with lovely riffs and vocals filling the entire music), the beautiful "The Kingdom Within" (another very good riffs, but the rhythmic session is doing very fine work. And on cellos and violins give that different and classical taste when needed), the hooking "Circles In Stone" (some accessible touches are presented here) and "Lost Beneath A Silent Sky" (a bit more aggressive on guitars, but with fine and tender vocals).

Yes, it's very good album, so I hope that ECHOES OF ETERNITY can come back soon to activity.<