Anubis Gate is a Danish prog/power metal band that has been having ups and downs ever since they started. Receiving both positive and negative feedback on their two previous albums they kept on trying and working on their skills. They now want to show off the result of their perseverance with their third full length record: Andromeda Unchained.

 

The first positive comment I need to give is the album-length. It contains no less than one hour and five minutes, spread out over fourteen songs. One minor point of the previous albums seemed to be the vocals. I cannot compare since I have not heard the previous singer (except for some samples), but all I can say is that they definitely didn�t go wrong with choosing Jacob Hansen as new vocalist. The second song �Snowbound� gives you a great first impression of his high reaching vocal lines.

 

Being tagged as a progressive band you�d expect some quality of the production and of course the music itself. This is probably the greatest aspect of Anubis Gate. About the sound of the album I cannot say much except that it is near perfection. Every instrument is clearly heard and all are well balanced in volume. What they do with their instruments is another thing. Don�t expect any mind blowing solos and such. They are definitely not Dream Theatre.

 

One �negative� point may be the lack of a red line through the songs, as the intro song might let you think. Also nice to know is that cover art of this album received a Grammy at the Danish Metal Awards!

 

So they might not be DT, but surely every progressive fan will enjoy this album and thus I can easily recommend it. Power metal fans don�t have to hesitate to buy this record either, for the progressive elements get varied with straight melodic parts very well! 

Short said: worth the buy!