For Progressive Metal Fans Only -- buy "Burn the Sun" if you
Metal Chem | AL, United States | 11/23/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is among the premier "progressive" metal albums of all time. If you can't accept constantly changing time signatures, tempo shifts, polyrhythmic drumming, truly creative guitar virtuosity or if you need foot-tapping radio friendly tunes, look elsewhere. This is a technical masterpiece -- music for musicians.
John Macaluso's drumming is absolutely otherworldly! Ostby really displays his creativity on guitar, sacrificing his early neoclassical trappings with Conception for a truly unique listening experience. Jorn Lande is among the top metal/hard rock vocalists, and here he conjures more emotion than on any of his other releases.
I would argue that this may be among the most important and creative prog metal releases to date. Although it won't ever have the influence of an "Images and Words" or the popularity of an "Operation Mindcrime", it is in many ways superior to both. The musicians' proficiencies are astounding and the songwriting is among the most inventive you'll ever find. With a collection of thousands of prog metal CDs, this easily sits in the my 10. Masterpieces like "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" still place me in shellshock after hundreds of listens.
If you want melody and time signatures that your pop music-loving neighbor can tolerate, purchase the far inferior (albeit still good) "Burn the Sun". If you want to hear one of the most incredible studio performances in terms of technical mastery and clever songwriting in the past decade, this is a MUST own."
Fantastic Progressive Rock Album
Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 09/23/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'm more than a little surprised by the negative reviews Ark's self-titled debut is getting here. I will grant the two points that everyone seems to harp on:
Yes, the band's follow-up album Burn the Sun is vastly superior.
No, the production on this album is not what it should be.
Still, this is a really excellent, and more importantly, a really unique progressive rock album. At a time when Dream Theater knock-off bands are a dime a dozen, it's nice to see a band that reaches a bit deeper. The Dream Theater influence is there of course, but this album brings to mind early Genesis and King Crimson more than anything else. It's very quirky, and very progressive, and never quite what you're expecting.
Ark was something of an "all-star" band, but two members' performances really stand out on this album. Guitarist Tore Ostby gives a masterful performance that is both intricate and passionate, and vocalist extraordinaire Jorn Lande exercises his Coverdale-like pipes to great effect.
As good as this album is, the band's second album is that much better, and tends to overshadow the debut. On its own merits, I think Ark holds up as a very solid progressive rock/metal album."
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1
