Melodic heavy metal & concept albums oftenly go hand in hand. Germany-based S.I.N. chose to tackle the story of Julian, also known as "The 13th Apostle".  

S.I.N. (Somewhere Into Nowhere) has delivered two (according to my research) well received albums before, and now it is time for the ever so important 'third record'. With a story about the the "13th Apostle" named Julian the album is a mix of melodic metal with quite a story in it. The album is heavy on theatrics, in a Queensryche way: We get multiple characters who play a part in the story and narrated pieces as well. Choirs, female vocals, it's all there. 

Main vocalist Patrick Simonsen does a great job as 'Julian'; who sings the bulk of the story. His voice is warm and manages to hit the right notes without becoming a obnoxious presence (which can be the case with this type of music). The music itself is well written and well performed, with many melodic hooks to accompany the excellent vocals (for example, real opener "Awakening" and "Sealed with a Kiss"). Some songs could use a little bit of trimming, but this record managed to keep my attention throughout all of it. Which is quite a feat these days!

Parallels with similar bands are easily made; fans of Ayreon and Avantasia will have a great time with this disc. A must-listen for fans of the genre!