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The sophomore effort from Denmark's superlative Wuthering Heights is an interesting follow up to their 1999 debut in that it laid the blueprint for the sound the band would continue to produce on subsequent albums. Much faster and more structured than Within, To Travel For Evermore is a blustery affair that never gives the listener much time to rest, with the exception of the dirge-like "Lost Realms", the darkest song they have penned to date. With the addition of drummer Morten Sorensen, Wuthering Heights kicked the speed up a couple notches and as a result, tracks like "See Tomorrow Shine" and epic instrumental "Battle of the Seasons" have more in common with Stratovarius and Symphony X, rather than the dreamy prog/folk leanings of their debut. That's not to say this baby isn't progressive; there are more parts to the compositions this time, with more pace and mood changes than anything on Within, making To Travel For Evermore an overall more complex achievement.

The airy production makes you feel you are stood atop a giant mountain, looking out over distant plains that stretch into infinity. Songs like "The Nevershining Stones" come at you like an immense wind that just won't quit, whilst others such as "Dancer In The Light" and "Through Within To Beyond" tackle all senses, dragging you back into the world they created with their first opus, only now someone has drawn the shades, and everything is darker. Erik Ravn's guitars are even more complicated than before, and vocalist Kristian Andren outdoes himself here, laying down a mad, emotional performance that is original and startling.

The only downside is the album is not quite as immediate as its predecessor, and therefore takes longer to get into (and also takes more to pick up again at a later date). There is no one quite like Wuthering Heights on the market, and To Travel For Evermore shows us all why. An epic workout of whimsical, otherworldly Prog-Power that no fan of the style should miss out on.