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Vanilla
Rex goes way back, kicking into gear back in the 80's releasing numerous demo
tapes, but it was until 1998 things started crystallize for them. The
result was their first self produced mini-album: "Requiem in
Red" released in 1999. A year later their first album: "Genius
Diary" was released (only 200 copies). Then things slowed down for
some time, and it wasn't until October 2004 that there was another sign
of life from Vanilla Rex when they released a 3 song maxi-CD called:
"Shadows of Insanity".
Exactly
one year later they were back with this album "Parallel Worlds",
and if they started out playing NWOBHM and power metal - I don't know
any of their earlier stuff - then I must admit, this is something
completely different.
Progressive
metal with influences from such genre titans as Dream Theatre, Threshold
and Symphony X is what shoots out of my speakers. And that's exactly
where my main issue with this album lies - the stuff coming out of the
speakers... the sound on this CD is dreadful, making it hard to pick the
parts apart and really ruining an otherwise interesting album.
Because
it's not hard to tell that we are dealing with some very good musicians,
who are capable of writing interesting and challenging progressive
metal, but most of the time it is so hard to figure out if the 0's and
1's are coming correctly.
7
very complex and interesting songs - and a short intro - is what Vanilla
Rex is offering us the listeners, and I do like their music a lot, and I
do believe they possesses a lot of potential - first of all they need a
crystal clear sound, because all the finesses and fine moments drowns in
a puddle of mud.
So if you think you can live with the sound, and is up
for a good dose of progressive metal, then I think you should check this
album out, because it's filled with strong parts and fine little pieces,
and the music itself justifies a higher score, but...
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