Review by Adam M on December 23, 2017.

The new Sons of Apollo has a sound that has flairs of Dream Theater pop up. It is a progressive metal album in the vein of bands like that and Symphony X that features Mike Portnoy on drums. So, how does this band stand out from the pack and craft their own distinctive aura? They do so with a mesmerizing array of riffs that is constantly compelling and pushes their vision forward. There is the use of keys as well, but it’s the guitars that get the biggest emphasis on this work.

The song Signs of the Time makes for a highlight on the album with it’s nice guitar lines and killer use of theatrics. The album slows down a bit after this song is completed. This is just one of the many great moments on this album, however. There is a nice supply of strong moments, but that song is one of the better portions of the album. The music gets into Dream Theater worship at times, but it’s original enough to overcome this and showcase a nice variety of dynamics and shifts in energy. The music definitely has enough passion associated with it. There is a sense of fun and excitement with the band as they perform these songs to their maximum potential.  The album is still not perfect. This sounds very similar to Dream Theater, who has done superior work to this in the past. A comparison to the epic Scenes From a Memory sees this album coming up a bit short in comparison. It is not the best album of the style, but brings enough new ideas to the table to be interesting and enjoyable.

Fans of the bands name-checked in this review are highly encouraged to check out this album as it provides one of the better progressive metal experiences of the year.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10