Andorran Progressive Death Metal titans have recently had their sophomore effort, "Core", reissued, with a brand-spanking new mix. The original, regarded by myself as their best release (which was a hard choice to make), this re-release was only welcomed. In properly progressive fashion, the album can be looked at as a sequence of 4 lengthy 'acts', each divided into multiple tracks. Upon both broad and specific examination, this can be seen as true creative and story-telling genius.

"Sanctuary Act I: Goddess' Wrath" is a monumental piece that is crammed full of riffs from a wide variety of styles, ranging from DREAM THEATRE to CRADLE OF FILTH; the vicious, double-layered vocals pointed out the latter for me immediately. A track that will stimulate the most 'intellectual' of Metalheads, it is not the perfect instrumentation execution, but the intricacy of the arrangements, that set what is a very high standard for the rest of the album. "Underworld Act III: When the Earth Breaks" takes the band's music up through the atmosphere, into grandiose altitudes. Soaring keyboard atmospherics and melodies are present and prominent, exuding the very meaning of the word 'epic'. That is until the technical riffs make a blistering return, with a special kind of Progressive flair.

"Seed Act I: A Ray of Hope" stood out as being only one of two acoustic tracks, and could well be considered as a ballad, only infinitely more complex and meaningful. Weaving beautiful arpeggio progressions with emotive, clean licks, clean vocals are displayed with a deep-seated well of powerful expression. Some new material on this release comes in the form of a Star Wars medley, which compiles the majority of the well-known soundtracks from the movies into over 4 minutes of grandiose, soaring, instrumental Metal, lest they forget to include comical renditions of Tatooinian bar music. Comic relief aside, this was one of the best moments on the record.

Although it is still the same record, the new mastering puts a more modern light on the production, and is only going to make fans (and myself) eager for new material.