• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Wow! I was more surprised to discover this than when Brittney Spears looked in the mirror and realised she had turned into Matt Lucas. Who'd have thought Finnish power rangers Celesty would break from their Stratovarius on amphetamines mould in favour of sharp, derailing progressive metal? Jesus. Don't they deserve some sort of public service medal or something? Well, whether the Finnish constituency deems it just or not, Celesty have certainly washed my eyes clean of contempt, and now I see the succulent fruits of their labour. Gone are the triumphant brass arrangements (well, they weren't real brass were they?) and gone are the galloping rhythms and sword in the air choruses. This time, Celesty means business; and their third very colourful full length "Mortal Mind Creation" has its briefcase jam-packed, and Windsor knot already tightened.

Articulate, intelligent, and genuinely exciting, the vast array of musical merit displayed upon this album is imploringly extensive. Largely due to the arrival of new axeman Teemu Koskela, the guitars in particular have long stretches of brilliance; every lick and riff spread thick across a battlefield of emotion and context. Unfortunately the lyrical interplay weaved in-between tells of their Cryon saga; which whilst fitting with their first two records, the mighty "Reign of Elements" and the rather lacklustre "Legacy of Hate", it falls too flat within the progressive song structures. Imagine if the next Dream Theater album employed tales of brave buccaneers travelling through the depths of space and time in the hope of finding some magic sword - you'd still be laughing when the follow up was issued. Still, the fantasy references have been toned down for more mature sentiments, such as loneliness, and the travesty of war.

Great artwork this time, which perfectly sets the mood for this dark, epic journey, and my proclivity for quality production is once again, overtly satisfied. True, the kick drum sound isn't quite as thick as on 2004's "Legacy of Hate", which is frustrating due to its profuse usage; but the catchiness of tracks like "War Creations", "Unreality" and "Lord of Mortals" more than makes up for that little grievance. Dark, bewildering, and unholy melodic, "Mortal Mind Creation" is an album that increases in appeal with every listen, and one fans of Angel Dust and Symphony X will no doubt want to hunt down in the absence of any new material.