Warthur Saviour Machine's debut album is an intriguing blend of gothic rock in the tradition of Sisters of Mercy and Fields of the Nephilim - most apparent in Eric Clayton's amazing vocals - with gothic metal and some prog rock influences. (In particular, it reminds me a lot at points of some of the gothier moments of neo-prog, and some passages seem to prefigure the work of bands like Arena.)

Sprinkle a few classic rock moments on the top and add a healthy dose of apocalyptic Christian mysticism and you have an interesting blend to say the least. Don't be put off by the fact that Saviour Machine are a Christian band who originally put this album out on a Christian music label; the band don't indulge in the crass and alienating preaching of other Christian groups, dividing their attentions between contemplations of their faith and terrifying prophecies of the end times.

In fact, the concluding song Jesus Christ includes lyrics like "You are the reason for the wars that plague the land" and "You are the shattered dream that frightens us to burn", suggesting that the group have a far from uncritical attitude to religion, and in particular seem to question whether some of the manifestations of Christianity are a reflection of God's will or an example of precisely the sort of thing Jesus preached against. It's this thoughtful approach to their religion which makes Saviour Machine's lyrical approach so interesting - whilst I don't personally share their worldview, it is at least a stance which is rooted in questioning and contemplation rather than dogmatism and intolerance.

Between this, the startling imagery in Legion, and the band's mysterious and spooky stage presence, it's no wonder that the more socially conservative side of the Christian music scene turned against them - in fact, the album wasn't originally released in America precisely because of this backlash. If you are in the market for a safe, wholesome Christian band who sing songs reaffirming and promoting culturally conservative values, then you're in absolutely the wrong place here - but if the idea of progressive gothic metal with theologically literate and intelligent lyrical themes floats your boat, the album's perfect for you, and if like me you don't care one way or another what the band's religious viewpoint is provided that the music is good then you're in luck too.

Eärendil Well, this is exactly what it sounds like- a CD in the shape of a roughly-cut mask. Since the mask isn't round, that means the album won't play in many cd players.

Quote from the CD case: "Caution! Not suitable for disc-changers and car-CD-players. Improper use is left at owner's risk."

Yes that's right.

The only way to hear this album is to play it on a regular, single slot CD player- not a computer one, a disc-changing one, or a car one. You can, however, find all of these tracks on other Saviour Machine albums that are actually circular in shape. The track list is short because the album only holds information as far as a circle can be burned on it, which is recognizable by some CD players.

Recommended for a huge Saviour Machine fan with a sense of humor.

Eärendil A dark, dense shadow marches along without falter. It's massive wall of sound can be overwhelming at first, but to the right listener, it is beautiful.

After you "get into" this style of music, you'll discover a masterpiece here. The mood is very grave, as the lyrics deal with the book of Revelations. Taking on the Eastern imagery, there are noticeable Eastern-sounding guitars built into the wall of sound which carries the album. There is very little riffing or soloing, and the album is fairly steady-paced and uniform with Clayton's searching vocals soaring over a web of instrumentation. The album is definitely meant to be listened to as a single piece, and each track flows into the next, with some spoken interludes and transitions.

Although it can take several listens to appreciate, Legend Part I is a masterpiece which leaves the listener anxious to continue the journey with the rest of the trilogy.

Rating: 10/10

UMUR "Legend Part III:I" is the 5th full-length studio album by American goth/ progressive rock/ metal act Saviour Machine. It´s the 3rd album in the "Legend" series of albums, which lyrically evolves around the book of revelations. The album was released in September 2001 by Massacre Records. The band ( with some lineup changes compared to the lineup who recorded this album) went on a successful tour in support of the album, which spawned the "Live in Deutschland 2002" live album and DVD. A 4th and final album in the "Legend" series titled "Legend III:II" was initially scheduled for release in 2002 ( that´s what the promo material for "Legend Part III:I" said) but the release date was postponed to July 2007. However in May 2007 lead vocalist/ main composer Eric Clayton released a statement citing that health problems hindered the release of the album. As of May 2011, we´re still waiting for the last album in the "Legend" series to be released.

The music on the album is epic/ goth metal with a progressive edge. We´re talking grand scale epic here, with orchestration, piano and grand choirs as part of the soundscape. Fans of a more gritty and darker Therion or maybe Amaseffer should take notice here. The focal point in the music is the voice and melody lines of lead vocalist Eric Clayton. The music on "Legend Part III:I" is rarely riff based ( it´s heavier and more riff based than the last couple of albums though) and the instruments are primarely used to create dark and heavy atmosphere to support the vocals. Eric Clayton delivers his semi-operatic vocals with a voice that can be described as a combination of David Bowie and Andrew Eldritch ( The Sisters of Mercy). I´m a great admirer of his vocal style and delivery. I don´t necessarily share his Christian worldview, but here´s a man who delivers with conviction, paatos and with great emotional depth. Another thing about the music that warrants a mention is the rather dominant use of middle eastern sounding guitar scales and melodies. We are of course talking lyrics inspired by The Book Of Revelations here, so those scales and melodies suit the concept very well.

As the two "Legend" series before it, "Legend Part III:I" is a very long album. 78:15 minutes is a very long time for any artist to captivate and entertain their listeners, but for the most part I´m well entertained with both heavy riffing, mellower piano/ vocal sections, epic orchestrated sections and a dark and brooding atmosphere. It´s not the kind of album where I´m gonna pick highlights as the album is meant to be heard from start to finish and the songs more or less all seque into each other to form a kind of epic cinematic concept. There are some parts here and there that drags a bit too much and some of the spoken word passages aren´t always exciting either but all parts do serve a purpose in the concept.

So if this turns out to be the last Saviour Machine album, they do go out with a minor bang. None of the "Legend" series albums have been able to impress me like the band´s first two albums and "Legend Part III:I" is no different in that repects. Taking into consideration the extremely high quality of the first two album, "Legend Part III:I" is still a very impressive release though and a 4 star rating is well deserved. This is the kind of album I have to be in a special mood to fully enjoy, but when it happens that I´m in that special mood, this is one of the most successfully epic and paatos filled albums I´ve yet come across and on occassion it even moves me emotionally.