J-Man If classic progressive metal in the vein of Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Vanden Plas is your preferred style of listening, you might have become acquainted with the Italians in Odd Dimension by their 2011 debut offering, Symmetrical - and if you haven't, they've returned in 2013 with an even better release. Entitled The Last Embrace to Humanity, Odd Dimension's sophomore observation is one of the strongest examples of melodic progressive metal that you're likely to hear this year, and while it isn't a boundary-breaker by any stretch, it's a professional product from all fronts with some irresistibly memorable compositions.

Whether it's the heavy riffs in "The Unknown King", melodic chorus in "It's So Late" (one of the most beautiful tunes I've heard this year!), or technical instrumental ending to "Fortune and Pain", everything about The Last Embrace to Humanity is likely to resonate with fans of progressive metal in some way or another. Odd Dimension may not shatter any expectations here, but the result is so tremendous that it's tough to complain. Highly recommended!

J-Man Italian prog metal band Odd Dimension has been around for almost a decade, but 2011 finally saw the release of their debut full-length album, Symmetrical. Odd Dimension doesn't have the most groundbreaking sound in the world, but their talent as musicians is impeccable and the songwriting department is often excellent as well. I can't consider Odd Dimension's debut to be essential, but it's surely above average and promising. If they can further expand upon the formula they've created here, I can sense an excellent sophomore album coming from this direction. Symmetrical is ultimately a good listen for all prog metal fans, even if it does little to stand out from the competition.

Symmetrical is progressive metal with nods in the direction of Fates Warning, Dream Theater, and Vanden Plas. Odd Dimension adds a few symphonic metal influences that keep them from being a complete "clone" band, though. Even though they may not be the most adventurous act out there, Odd Dimension delivers progressive metal in a top-notch fashion. Despite a few compositions that fail to capture me, the vast majority of the album is extremely enjoyable. My favorite track is probably "I'll Be Back Once More" which features some excellent vocals from Manuel Candiotto and great synth lines from Max Capra. The rest of the music is very good, albeit fairly standard, progressive metal. Odd Dimension is a professional band, and the musicianship is phenomenal throughout Symmetrical. Unfortunately, one of my biggest gripes with the album is the production, which sounds somewhat muffled and has a few technical hiccups. A better sound would've improved my overall experience significantly.

Symmetrical is a very good, sometimes even great, debut from Odd Dimension that I'd recommend fans of prog metal in the Dream Theater camp to check out. These Italian lads will have to work out a few issues if they really want to amaze me with their next album, but this is still a promising and highly enjoyable effort. Symmetrical isn't an essential release, but I've had a fun time listening to it so 3.5 stars are warranted here. I'm hopeful for the future of Odd Dimension!