For me, the best stuff here is the music, which does not say much, but this could be solely due to Kürsch’s almost feminine vocal delivery. His voice does absolutely nothing for me, particularly when drowning under a choir. Schaffer plays some often predictable passages, particularly in his semi-signature style, along with some good riffs, and Bobby Jarzombek’s drumming is competent but nothing over the top. A big surprise, at least to me, is not that Jim Morris (yes, of Morrisound Studios) produced this record, but that he also plays some lead guitar on it! Who knew? Not knowing which solos belong to whom, let us just say that all are pretty well received. Bass is credited to Schaffer although the liner notes indicate the bass to be played by relative unknown Rubin Drake.

Lyrically this album borrows liberally from Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” series, particularly in regards to the “Crimson King,” the “Terror Train,” “The Gunslinger,” the “Wicked Witch,” etc., and that’s fine. At least the influence is not J.R.R. Tolkien yet again! Beyond the original music, which is “only” okay by my estimation, the real gem on this album is an unnecessary cover of the Led Zeppelin classic “Immigrant Song.” The band have made it a bit heavier while retaining much of the spirit of the original. Is it worth the price of admission? You decide. I like it better than the rest of this disc.

written by Tony Belcher

Playing time: 49.20