The Block The labyrinth of truth

Soulspell really dipped into the talent basket on this great album. With great guests such as Jon Oliva (Jon Oliva’s Pain, ex. Savatage), Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex. Helloween), Zak Stevens (Circle II Circle, ex. Savatage) and Germán Pascual (ex. Narnia) Soulspell really made this album something that many people will like, and enjoy. One of the many reasons for this is the great musicianship on the album.

Every musician on this album plays absolutely superbly. The great riffs in guitars mix really well with the underlying tones of the keyboards. The song that shows this off the most is the all instrumental song, “The Entrance” which, as the name suggests, leads right into the album. It’s kind of like a pick up mote to a measure providing a preview of what is to come on the rest of the album. The drums are a bit typical for power metal albums, but some thing else in the mix, whether it be the guitars or keyboards at times, make them sound much more original and different. Guitarist Rodolfo Pagotto is one of my favorite musicians on the album. He brings so much talent to the album, especially in his solo sections like the one on “Dark Prince’s Dawn”.

The vocals on this album are top notch. Since it is a metal “opera” type album, with tons of guests, there are so many good vocals to listen to. Everyone who sings does a perfect job throughout the whole entire album. I really like the song “Adrift” where one of the many male singers trades lines with off and on with Daisa Munhoz, the only female singer. Besides her higher pitched voice blending with the lowness of the rest of the band, I really like how they utilize this, unlike many other power metal bands that have no women vocalists. “The Verve” is another great example of this, too. Perhaps my favorite song on the album, “Into the Arc of Time”, features one of the best known singers in progressive power metal, ex-lead singer of Savatage, Jon Oliva. You can definitely hear his influence here, since it sounds like it was taken straight from one of Savatage’s albums. His gravely voice and minor notes on the keyboard, add a whole new sound to the album, which wasn’t there before.

The production by Tito Falaschi and mixing by Heros Trench is pretty good except for a few instances on the album were it sounds just a bit cheesy, but it is easily overlooked.

This album comes highly recommended to any fan of power metal of progressive power metal. Also if you are a fan of bands such as Ayreon or Star One, you will really enjoy this album, since all three of these bands are made up of a bunch of high quality musicians playing together. Soulspell includes a great, all-star cast to make this one of the best recent power metal albums that I’ve heard. For their superb release they get 4 stars.

J-Man Into the Arc of Time...

If you're someone who enjoys metal operas from acts like Ayreon and Genius, it'd be a real shame to miss out on the latest outing from Brazil's Soulspell. With an all-star cast, irresistible compositions, and a powerful overall sound, the end result for The Labyrinth of Truths is one of the best progressive power metal albums of 2010. The Labyrinth of Truths is a rock opera of sorts, with a host of guest vocalists, a conceptual story, and a generally bombastic sound. I haven't paid much attention to the lyrics here, but the story supposedly revolves around the concept of how just living a normal life can affect the lives of people worldwide. The lyrics never come across as outwardly cheesy, and the music is so fantastic that I wouldn't care even if they were an endless cheesefest. The latest album from Helono Vale's brainchild is essential listening for people who enjoy metal operas - The Labyrinth of Truths can compete with the best of the best.

The music here is a progressive/power metal opera played in a style not unlike Ayreon, Star One, Genius, or even Savatage. One of the most eye-opening things about The Labyrinth of Truths is the lineup filled with metal legends; something surprising for a relatively unknown project. On this album you can find vocal contributions from the likes of Jon Oliva (Savatage), Zak Stevens (Savatage), Roland Grapow (Helloween, Masterplan), and Germán Pascual (Narnia), to name but a few. The instrumental section is impressive as well, but the main hook that The Labyrinth of Truths possesses lies in the fantastic compositions. On this album you'll find operatic power metal madness in the title track, a beautiful pop-oriented song in "Adrift", or a stellar progressive epic with "A Secret Compartment". There's plenty of variation on The Labyrinth of Truths in the vocal arrangements and compositions themselves, and the album rarely (if ever) feels derivative of itself. The vocal melodies here are very appealing - just listen to some of those harmonies in "A Secret Compartment"! People who tend to look down upon pompous and symphonic power metal won't have their minds changed by this album, but for someone like me, the only way to look at this album is one of the best progressive power metal albums of 2010.

The production is great (in my opinion). There's a bit of "cheese" added because of the stressed production values, but I think it gives the music a powerful and commanding edge.

Conclusion:

The Labyrinth of Truths took a few listens for me to appreciate, but it's safe to say that the more I hear this album, the more I love it. Soulspell has crafted an excellent progressive/power metal opera here that's an essential purchase for anyone who enjoys albums like The Human Equation by Ayreon, Victims of the Modern Age by Star One, or Streets by Savatage. 4 stars are well-deserved here. I can't say I was expecting anything this great when I first acquired The Labyrinth of Truths, so you could call this a positive surprise for me. Highly recommended!