Warthur What is it about progressive metal concept albums about people in comas? Queensryche kicked the trend off with Operation: Mindcrime, Ayreon did it with The Human Equation, and the same plot device shows up in Seventh Wonder's Mercy Falls. In fact, the overall premise is very similar to The Human Equation's, since both involve a protagonist who following a car crash has to undergo a range of intense reflections on their interior troubles and their relations with others, though I have to give Mercy Falls the edge with its plot; the personal revelations involved about the protagonist's family life mean there's something substantial to actually discover beyond psychological platitudes, whilst the motif of the town of Mercy Falls helps aesthetically tie things together.

On top of that, Seventh Wonder set this all off against a solid musical backing, reminiscent of a more straightforward Dream Theater, which really rounds out the package. At the same time, I find I don't really come back to it that much - as accessible and enjoyable as it is on a first listen, I find it doesn't offer me much on later spins.

dtguitarfan Yes. Five stars. I firmly believe this album is a masterpiece. Actually, I would say all of Seventh Wonder's albums but the very first, Become, are masterpieces. From the first time I heard "Waiting in the Wings" I was absolutely amazed. And I have never been disappointed by consecutive listens, nor have I been disappointed in their follow-up albums (Mercy Falls and The Great Escape - though I hope for many to come...). This band continues to be fresh, and their chops are unmatched. They are, I believe, Prog-Metal's best kept secret, and I wish they would make it big. It truly breaks my heart that they aren't making enough money on music to support themselves. As my username suggests, I am a big Dream Theater fan. But, even though Dream Theater are and have been my favorite band for many years, I'll let you in on a little secret: I think Seventh Wonder is a better band.

Mercy Falls is a concept album, the plot of which is a little mysterious. I will tell you what I know: at the beginning of the album, there is a car accident. We find out that the male in the car accident is in the hospital in a coma, and his wife and son visit him at different stages in the album. His father also comes to visit him at one point. The album goes back and forth between these visits in the real world, and some sort of dream world the man is in, called Mercy Falls, where he becomes part of the community and helps out during a storm. In the real world, they try a bone marrow transplant from the man's son, but it doesn't work. In the end, the wife says her final goodbye, and decides to turn off the mans life support. The truth is finally revealed to us, and while passing into the afterlife, the man remembers that the wife had an affair and that the man's son was not actually his (thus the reason the transplant didn't work). The last song is called the Black Parade, and I'm not sure but think it is the man's passing into the afterlife. Whatever the plot, the music takes the listener through a roller-coaster of emotions and helps to fill the plot with mystery.