THOUGHT SPHERE - VAGUE HORIZONS - 2000

I don't know if it was signing with a "real" label... I don't know if it is the two-year interval since their last release... I don't know if it is simply growing and maturing a bit, but something finally clicked with Thoughtsphere. This album finally realizes the tremendous potential of the band.

After a pair of meandering "feeling our way" discs, Thoughtsphere follows through on their delivery. The opening pair of tracks show a band that has finally settled into a sound with which they are comfortable. The soft, almost melancholy sound of the violin on "Approach..." is followed by as punchy, peppy, and catchy a song as you'll want to hear. Big chorus, epic sound and focus, focus, focus! It is always a joy to hear a band come into their own. And what a sound it is. The band has finally found their comfort zone and they stay well within it on each track of this disc. The overall sound is a mix of good, solid progressive metal and high end AOR wiht good use of the interludes that were so dominant on Grailkeeper's Gate. The songs don't get away from the band and the band stays within its limits.

I enjoy the big, catchy choruses the band has adopted. They make the music much more accessible. I really like the saxaphone use on "Clouds Beneath" and how the theme repeats several times in the song. The album has the feel of a concept disc, and the similar themes in the song titles indicates that it is intentional.

Having followed Thoughtsphere through a start that could be described as rocky at best, this disc is a real treat. Fans of epic progressive metal will enjoy the consistency of the songs on this disc. The delivery is tight and unified. This disc shows haw far the band has come and the tremendous level of growth they've attained. Expect very good things from Thoughtsphere in the future.
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