J-Man Sweden is known for its massive progressive metal scene, and one of the bigger names in this scene is Andromeda. In spite of this, Manifest Tyranny (their fifth full-length album) is my first acquaintance with their music, so I can't (yet) compare this with their earlier efforts. What we have here is a fairly unique brand of melodic progressive metal that, while still borrowing heavily from bands like Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation, and Evergrey, sounds pretty original. Manifest Tyranny is an impressive modern prog metal release, and while I can't say it's a shining success from every angle, there are enough positive traits to outweigh any detriments.

Musically, I'd say that Manifest Tyranny is best described as melodic progressive metal, but with a more raw and heavy edge. While still quite complex, there are lots of crushing guitar riffs throughout the album, and the raw production further exemplifies the heavy edge that Andromeda favors on this release. While far from revolutionary, Manifest Tyranny does not sound like any other band; Andromeda has their own sound, and deserves to be applauded for this. The lyrics dealing with political stigma, corruption in government, and war are also pretty interesting, and I love the way the band is able to incorporate this relevant message into their songs using voiceovers and sound samples. My biggest gripe with Manifest Tyranny is that there aren't a whole lot of great tracks, and even though the whole album is good, it seldom reaches a level of excellence. I'd say "Asylum" and "Go Back to Sleep" are both great tracks, but the rest of Manifest Tyranny seldom exceeds the 'average' mark. A few more impressive compositions would've really done the album wonders - after all, the musicians playing the songs are extremely precise throughout the full 64 minute duration.

Even though I wish Manifest Tyranny were a bit shorter and had a few more great songs, this is still a fairly easy recommendation for modern prog metal enthusiasts. If you're in search of original and lyrically relevant progressive metal with top-notch musicianship and classy melodies, you're bound to be impressed by what Andromeda offers on this observation. 3.5 stars are deserved, and I can safely say that I'll be checking out more albums from these Swedish lads in the future.

Time Signature Chosen by god...

Genre: progressive metal

This release is, as far as I remember, my first acquaintance with Swedish prog metallers Andromeda, so I do not have their earlier releases as a point of reference or a point of comparison.

In any case, I think that "Manifest Tyranny" is a pretty good album which is rich in variation and full of different impressions, but, still, there is a sense of consistency and coherence throughout the album (which is definitely a great strength, sine the album seems to be a concept album, criticizing American foreign politics). Going from semi-thrashy passages over quirky and technical ones to very mellow and melodic ones, generously sprinkling their music with layers of piano parts, electronica elements and plenty of references to classic prog rock, Andromeda invites the listener home for a buffet which will definitely leave even the most insatiable listener feeling satisfied.

The musicianship and production are top notch, and, while Andromeda wear their influences on their sleeves (I detect inspiration from early and more recent Dream Theater, 70s prog rock, recent Iron Maiden, late 90s and early 00s Fates Warning as well as [on the lyrical side] Queensrÿche), Andromeda's brand of progressive metal on this release strikes me as being quite original. While it does contain technical and quirky elements as well as dynamic song structures and spacey things, it never becomes inaccessible.

Andromeda's "Manifest Tyranny" is an original and lyrically relevant progressive metal release which does not disappoint.

Andyman1125 7/8's the new groovy!

Note, I have not heard the original Extension of the Wish, only this version, and I love it! Although the album art is much less creative, the music is still great. Andromeda has really created their own brew of progressive metal, something that, surprisingly, is not really influenced by Dream Theater. They are definitely one of the more creative prog metal bands in the mix. Extension of the Wish is a favorite of mine; it's a great album in general.

The Words Unspoken has a nice technical 7/8 intro, as do most of the songs, with a spacey distorted guitar. The technicality of the song is impressive, with switch off solos between synth and guitar. The new singer really shows off his pipes on this song.

Crescendo of Thoughts opens up yet again with that spacey and groovy 7/8 soloing between synth and guitar. The melody is most prominent in this song, among the instrumental technicality.

In The Deepest Waters is a fun track, yet again in 7/8 (I think the drummer just lays out a beat and the other players just solo around it). The rhythms and instrumental sections are nice, as are the semi-melodic choruses. The outro neatly fades into the next track, another upside of the album.....

....Starshooter Supreme is a great fun track built (again) around 7/8. The soloing is fun and inventful, as are the verses and chorus.

Chameleon Carnival is easily one of the best tracks on the album, a fun instrumental 7/8 groove built around some fun solos between guitar, bass, and synth. A very fun track to listen to; it's one of those prog songs that you just want to bob your head to.

Extension of the Wish is the first truly melodic song on the album. It's just over 10 minutes, being the longest track on the album. The song is built not around 7/8, but a 10/8 groove, finally a change! The verses and chorus are very melodic are definitely something that could be remembered. The album begins a slow decline after this, as the first songs are much more upbeat and fun that the remaining tracks.

Arch Angel is the second really melodic song, with a much lighter chorus and not as much technicality when it comes to soloing, which is reduced in number.

Journey of Polyspheric Experience is a really spacey song. You just want to kick back and be enveloped by the spacey synth voice. It has a really trippy feel to it, with less technicality again. The chorus isn't "melodic," but more lighter and is more of a psychedelic-metal feel.

Eclipse, the last and most likely lightest track on the album, tries to fit in a little symphonic into the space metal. The soling is slower, more careful, less upbeat and fun, and more focused on staying both technical and melodic in feel. A nice end to a great space metal album.

ALBUM OVERALL: A fantastic album. The first 6 are much better than the remaining 3, but all 9 are still fantastic. The technicality really outmatches the melodic element, so it doesn't have all three of the Dream Theater "prog, metal, and *melodic*," but it is still fantastic. A great deviation from traditional prog metal, and a fantastic album. 4+ stars.

Valarius Throughout their careers, every band goes through a stage where they drastically alter their sound. It could be a huge improvement or a complete disaster. It could last for only one album, maybe a couple of years, or possibly even for the rest of their existence.

This is exactly the case for Andromeda's style on this album. The songs seem a lot more stripped down than previous efforts, Johan Reinholdz seems to have mellowed down on the guitar and the lyrics seem a lot less ambitious. So what's the deal? Are they trying to reach out to a broader audience? Are they experimenting with different ideas? Has Reinholdz decided to calm down a bit and let the band focus more on songwriting?

Nobody knows the answer to these questions but the band members themselves, but despite the change in direction, this is still one kickass album. It may be their weakest effort to date, but it has some truly remarkable songs on it.

With that said, some of the tracks are pretty weak though, and for every anthem, there is a misstep. ‘Slaves of the Plethora Season’, possibly Andromeda's most basic song, is one hell of a tune. Sure, it has no solos, no ridiculous time-signatures, and pretty terrible lyrics (“who can get an erection?”), but none-the-less it has some very catchy, heavy riffs, that put most modern Metal bands to shame. And that is one thing this album is overflowing with, intelligent, well thought-out riffs.

Of course the true centerpiece of this album, and most probably one of Andromeda's greatest songs, is the 19-minute ‘Veil of Illumination’. There are no words that can truly do justice to describe how insane this song is. Some amazing music here, with some decent lyrics and arguably the craziest instrumentation ever, especially the mid-section, which features some of the wildest playing you'll ever hear. And this is not an exaggeration.

As usual with this band, all performances are of the highest standard, so even with the more relaxed playing and stripped down arrangements, this group still plays their hearts out, sounding tighter than ever, and Johan Reinholdz chilling out on the guitar has really helped all the other members shine, especially drummer Thomas Lejon, who really gets to show how much of a psychopath he is on the drums.

In summary, the fourth album into their career and this could be considered Andromeda's weakest, but don't let that put you off. It is still a great album, and if this is a new direction they plan on sticking to, then I think they're still more than capable of one day becoming champions of Prog Metal.

Valarius Three albums into their career and Andromeda still sound as new and fresh as their debut.

‘Chimera’, Andromeda's third album, may seem like another typical ‘by-the-book’ Progressive Metal record, but on further listens you can tell this is a band destined for greatness. In fact, in a genre where most artists are labelled as ‘Dream Theater clones’, this is proof that Andromeda is in fact an original formula.

But if you were to compare Andromeda to Dream Theater, then let me say that any member of this band can easily stand toe-to-toe with Prog Metals biggest band. Crushing guitar riffs, keyboard solos, amazing drumming and grooving bass lines are all here, and David Fremberg's powerful vocals sound fantastic.

With the epic ‘Periscope’, the exciting ‘Going Under’ and the unique ‘Inner Circle’, the music on this album will keep you on the edge of your seat. And for the fans of heavier music, there are tracks like ‘The Cage of Me’ and ‘No Guidelines’. In fact, there's only two songs on here that are slightly weaker than the others, and it's for this reason that I only give this album four stars. But all the other songs are vintage Andromeda, and will one day become classics of the genre.

As with any Andromeda album, if you're into Progressive Metal, then this is definitely one for the collection.