martindavey87 After 2004's 'End of Silence', Dreamscape went back to re-record a number of songs from both of their first two albums with current vocalist Roland Stoll. The result, 'Revoiced', is a fantastic slice of progressive metal that pretty much negates the bands earliest releases, but also offers up some of their most definitive work.

Musically similar to Dream Theater (which prog metal band doesn't get that cliché thrown at them?), Dreamscape display dazzling instrumental abilities, with great interplay between guitars and keyboards, and a strong sense of melody that means that even the heavier moments still feel graceful, without being overbearingly brutal.

The production is fantastic, and really gives everyone ample space to shine, and Roland Stoll's voice is a much better fit for this band than his predecessors. Songs like 'Thorn in My Mind', 'Alone', 'Winter Dreams', 'When Shadows Are Gone' and 'She's Flying' are all fantastic examples of prog metal, and really demonstrate how gifted this German five-piece is.

The melodic tendencies of the band make this a more accessible release if you're an old-school prog fan looking to dabble in some prog metal, but find yourself deterred by the more heavier stuff. Overall, 'Revoiced' is an exceptional progressive metal album, that serves as a great starting point if you're new to Dreamscape.

martindavey87 My first experience with Dreamscape came through the 'Revoiced' compilation, in which they had re-recorded the best songs of their first two releases with then-current vocalist Roland Stoll. While I found their debut, 'Trance-Like State' to be a huge disappointment, 'Very' steps up musically, with all-round better songwriting, and with better production that gives everything a bit more punch than before. However, the album as a whole still feels lacking.

For one thing, similar to before, I find the re-recorded versions with Roland Stoll to be the more definitive versions of these tracks. While 'Very' vocalist Huby Meisel has a nice, clear and somewhat majestic voice, it still doesn't feel powerful enough to match the music.

Much like every progressive metal band, the comparisons to Dream Theater will be everywhere, but one thing I really dig about Dreamscape is how much more melodic their music is. Even the heavy riffs have a sense of elegance about them. Songs like 'Thorn in My Mind', 'When Shadows Are Gone', 'Winter Dreams' and the 'Panterei' trilogy are all excellent tracks that combine crunchy, heavy guitars with beautiful keyboard melodies.

But, of course, these songs all appear on 'Revoiced', which means that while 'Very' is a good album, and definitely an improvement upon the band's debut, it still feels like it can be discarded now, and left merely for the collectors.

martindavey87 Now, I love Dreamscape, and over the years have come to consider them one of my favourite bands. Being cursed with a collectors OCD of having to own everything an artist puts out, their first album was a tough one to track down on disc, and when I finally did... I kind of wish I hadn't.

Damn OCD!

Considering that the good songs on this album would be re-recorded for the bands 'Revoiced' record, most of what we get here just feel like leftovers. And of the supposed "good ones", they just seem lifeless without later vocalist Roland Stoll. Perhaps it's just reflective of that mid-90's lull for metal bands, and in particular, other than a few notable big bands, progressive metal was still mostly an unknown subgenre that was relegated to the underground scene. Either way, 'Trance-Like State' just isn't an interesting release.

The musicianship is brilliant, as you'd expect from a band playing this style of music, and the production is alright, though nothing quite jumps out at you. There's a few good songs, such as 'Spirits', 'Face Your Fears' and 'Decisions', but in all honesty, there's not really anything here that makes me want to come back to this album.

With a staggering duration of 65 minutes, and a singer that sounds like he's taking it all way too seriously, 'Trance-Like State' just fails to deliver. Dreamscape are an awesome band however, and if you're new to them then you're better off starting with 'Revoiced' and discarding their first two albums.

Unless you're a collector like me! Damn OCD!