Pelata Anyone who thinks Dream Theater is cool but not heavy enough needs to get their mitts on the new album by Prototype.

This is some really good, guitar-oriented prog metal. The riffing is reminiscent of older Metallica circa 1986 and even a bit of Nevermore both in feel and tone. This is combined with some complex structuring and melodic vocalizing making for a very cool listen. The clean guitar textures coming in and out of the songs add a good deal of depth and scope. I really like the feel of the melodies delivered by the singer and the guitarist. The drummer, like many prog metal drummers, is phenominal.

"What about the songs," you ask? Have no fear. These guys can write a memorable hook and go balls-out shred-happy with the best of them. Opening cut "Live A Lie" begins with a big, biting riff before diving into a stellar melodic verse with great vocal layers. The lead guitar work here is simply excellent and drives into a prog free-for-all instrumental section. One of the cool things about this band is that, despite their chosen genre, they tend to stick to relatively short songs. The longest track comes in at a modest (by prog standards) 6 minutes and 51 seconds. That track being "Dead Of Jericho." Most of the others float around the 4 or 5-minute mark, which is ample time for Prototype to prove itself. There are so many riffs in "Dead Of Jericho" you could get dizzy keeping up; the Tool-like breakdown is a nice touch as well.

So many of the songs are loaded with tasty, technically superb playing that I'd probably get a bit redundant trying to describe them all. The quiet feel of "I Know You (Part 1)" breaks things up a bit with a great vocal melody and nice acoustic picking.

The overall feel of the album is dark as well as aggressive; not as brooding as Zero Hour, but not as blithe as Dream Theater. Fans of prog metal should give this record a spin. The combination of thrashy riffing, melodic vocals and progressive arrangements should please fans of the genre worldwide.