J-Man Two years after their critically acclaimed debut EP, Swedish prog rock/metal band Lava Engine has returned to the scene with a new lineup and a great EP that's sure to appeal to people who've enjoyed their debut. In Limbo features two major changes in Lava Engine's lineup - drummer Christian Karlsson has been replaced by Mick Nordström and bassist Ian Varjanne has been replaced by Simon Dahlström. Lava Engine is one of the few bands in the modern progressive metal scene who's seeking to break new ground rather than hide in the shadows of the genre's leaders, and I have an unending respect for them and their adventurous attitude. There's room for improvement on In Limbo, but that doesn't hide the fact that this is an extremely gifted quartet to keep your eyes on.

Lava Engine plays a style atmospheric progressive rock/metal with clear influences from Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, and softer sounding Opeth (something like their Damnation album). The end result is a pretty unique EP - In Limbo rarely falls into any of the genre clichés. The compositions are generally very strong, with tracks like "Drain Your Soul", "In Limbo", and "Ctrl Z" as highlights. This 30:17 EP never tires - In Limbo consistent and thoroughly enjoyable all the way through. My main issue here lies in the general lack of truly outstanding moments on In Limbo - all of the music here is good without question, but only a select amount of it can be considered excellent. Hopefully Lava Engine can further develop their already impressive songwriting skills by the time of their next release. They're undoubtedly a talented group, and consistently terrific compositions should only come in time. Lava Engine shows their chops throughout In Limbo, but does so with dignity and without constant technical aerobics.

The production is surprisingly raw, but it leaves a bit to be desired. It's lacking a bit of a "punch" if you ask me.

In Limbo is a highly impressive EP that fans of progressive metal in the vein of Pain of Salvation, Porcupine Tree, and Opeth should adore. I have a few complaints about the release, but it's still a highly enjoyable and promising EP worth 3.5 stars. I love stumbling upon an adventurous young act like this - these guys have some real potential for progressive metal greatness. It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for Lava Engine!

The Block Playing on common ground

Lava Engine’s latest EP has much in common with newer progressive metal bands out there. The tracks are driven by heavy guitars and good drum lines that are very similar to that of Pain of Salvation’s. The vocals are very nice and clean cut, adding nice depth to the whole EP. But, this being said, almost all new progressive metal bands have this sound, making this EP not as creative and original.

One song that I think captures most of what Lava Engine is trying to do is the first one, “Drain Your Soul”. It starts off with a very spacey riff that I find is all too similar to the ones that Dream Theater uses in the song Octavarium. But, it soon transfers into an electric drum kit solo which adds a new feel to the song, whether it be good or bad. This provides and off kilter feel to the rest of the track, too. The guitars on this song are very solid and blend in well with the vocals. The riff between the bass, drums, and guitars keeps repeating, a little too much in this case, making me long for the next section every time I hear it. But, when it gets to the vocal sections, they sure are good.

Not only just on this song, but across the whole EP, the vocals are superb. In some parts they sound very much like Opeth, which their minor tones, and darker feel in the background. But in some other cases, they almost sound like Pain of Salvation, with a more upbeat feel, and some great backing guitars by Ronnie Jaldemark. They also incorporate another vocal style in this EP: their own. It blends well with the other styles, going in and out of each, but this one stands out to me more, just because it is different, and has almost a bluesy feel to it. What really makes the vocals stand out, are the musicians in the background.

The overall musicianship on this EP is rather good. This is especially shown on the track “Common Ground” where both the acoustic and electric guitars play in harmony. After this plays for awhile it transfers to a cool guitar lick leading into another vocal section. They later revisit the same riff, but it then transfers back into the Octavarium riff that started off the EP. This is a cool feature because you can tell that they really tried to make all their songs blend. May that be solely on the production or not, it is a nice touch.

Speaking of production some times on this EP I can’t understand why they do certain things. Like for example, when they use the electric sounding drum kit on “Drain Your Soul”, why not use a real drum because the electric one makes it sound chintzy and fake. Also to end the EP, the song “Windows Closed”, ends abruptly with a short cut off, leaving more to be desired. It would have sounded a lot better if they just used a simple fade out instead. But, for an overall good EP, Lava Engine gets 3.5 stars.