VANDEN PLAS: Christ.0

Cover	Release	Style
	2006	progressive metal
	Label
	SPV /Inside Out
	Website
	www.vandenplas.de
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	67:20	IOMCD 239 - SPV 085-48792 CD
	Review by	Rating
	Claude	9/10
nederlands	Review
Four years after their latest album ‘Beyond daylight’, German progmetal band Vanden Plas is back again, the concept-album ‘Christ.0’ (Christ zero) has finally been released. This is actually a logical continuation of their work in several rock-musicals and theater performances, the trend has been set by the recent solo project ‘Abydos’ of singer Andy Kuntz, the choice for a more progressive and yet more diversified approach was obvious. Vanden Plas endangered to be stuck in stereotypical progressive metal, a common problem for many bands in the same musical style. Beyond Daylight was not a weak album, but one felt that a new wave was desperately needed, and they have well understood it. They will certainly appeal to new fans with this album, made around the adventures of count Monte Christo (from A. Dumas). The title track is a perfect illustration of this new approach, although they still play heavy power metal driven by the rhythm section with melodic refrains, they now do it with more symphonic fragments and gothic touches, especially by the addition of the 40-piece Pfalztheater choir. There is still room for excellent soloing on guitar as well on keyboards, but the main accent lies in the strong arrangements. ‘Postcard to God’ starts as typical ‘hard rock’, but it evolves towards a true Vanden Plas track, a pleasant mix between melody, technical craftsmanship and oiled progressive metal. On ‘Wish you were here’ (no, no cover at all) the symphonic influence is very present, especially thanks to the great keyboards in combination with the winged guitar solos. ‘Silently’ seems to be a ballad with its fragile keyboard introduction, but the pace raises very fast, although the catchy refrain is sung very discreetly and full of passion, what a song. You get a similar song structure in Fireroses Dance, a ballad with power and supported by choir members and strings. A beautiful introduction with Andy, only accompanied by piano and strings, later followed by a symphonic orchestra, makes ‘January Sun’ one of the highlights of the album, an impressive progressive epos full of tempo changes of the same quality as The Odyssey (Symphony X) or Octavarium (Dream Theater). Again some gothic flavour, the red line throughout Christ.0. ‘Lost in Silence’ is again a ballad, a bit in the vein of Metallica. The bonus tracks on most of the albums do not give a higher value, but the way Vanden Plas and especially Andy Kuntz interprets the cover of “Gethsemane” from the rock musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ is really sublime. The new album of Vanden Plas lies stylistically somewhere between ‘Beyond Daylight’ and ‘Abydos’, and although it is a concept album the strength of it comes from all of the compositions. The year has just begun, but this will undoubtedly be one of the better releases of 2006.
Musicians
Stephan Lill : Guitars Torsten Reichert : Bass Andreas Lill : Drums Andy Kuntz : Vocals Günter Werno : Keyboards
Tracklist
1. Christ.0 05:34 2. Postcard to god 06:17 3. Wish you were here 09:14 4. Silently 08:31 5. Shadow I am 05:28 6. Fireroses dance 06:03 7. Somewhere alone in the dark 05:30 8. January sun 10:05 9. Lost in silence 04:19 10. Gethsemane 06:19


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