To be completely honest I have to say that this is my first encounter with SIEGES EVEN, even though this band has been around for quite some time since their debut release was Life Cycle that hit the stores back in 1988. The main reason for not noticing this German quartet was the fact that the last five years I have lost my interest in the Progressive Metal scene. This happened because I felt (and still do) that this genre has become too complicated for my ears to handle. Well, our evil 'content supervisor' editor (aka Grigoris) believed that I would be the right person to review the new SIEGES EVEN album even though I explained him my aforementioned thoughts. Well, enough with the small talk let's get into the music itself.
Paramount is the second album belonging to the band's second era that started in 2005 with the release of The Art Of Navigating By The Stars that ended the almost 8 years of discographic silence. When Alpha Omega Collide opens the album with a classic keyboard Progressive intro followed by strong melodies that convinced me to continue listening. Arno Menses has a most melodic and soft as silk voice that fits perfectly the AOR oriented compositions. Tidal adds some minor heaviness to the album with some groovy bass guitar rhythms and low tuned guitars, while the ballad Eyes Wide Open turned to be  too mellow for me and made me hit the skip button on the CD player. The Soft Rock label also applies to the next track Iconic that reveals some RUSH influences underlined and enhanced by the flawless sound production.
In Duende the band brings some more groovy Heavy Metal elements in terms of guitar distortion that are perfectly balanced with the song's most melodic backbone. The melodic foundations in Paramount reveal the DREAM THEATER influences especially during their mainstream era characterized by the release of Falling Into Infinity in 1997. During Leftovers I found myself thinking of TOOL or even PERFECT CIRCLE especially during the distorted and atmospheric guitar breaks.
Based on my criteria this is a very good Progressive Rock album that didn't wander around with useless and complicated compositions made the listening of the album a real smooth process. I am sure that the fans of SIEGES EVEN and generally of the melodic Progressive sound would feel mostly satisfied with Paramount.