Unfortunately, the lyrical expression of this theme isn't always so impressive: although packed with intense emotion and some strong graphic images, the lines sometimes lack fluency and fluidity. No such awkwardness is found in the music, however. Forlorn Legacy's brand of melodic death metal effectively incorporates elements of prog, technical metal, and some thrash, its varied rhythms among the album's most appealing qualities. Guitarists Mario Romanic and Viktor Pugelnik combine Swedish-sounding riffage with more idiosyncratic stylings. Short, trippy solos with echoing effects are a highlight in the quiet passages that occur in several songs, among them "Crest of Silence," one of the most adventurous tracks on the album, with lots of textures and speed changes. Some of the most impressive guitarwork is displayed in "Collapse," one of the two instrumentals, both of which are this album's biggest changes of pace. "Collapse" blends elongated chords with rapid picking that sounds like frenzied violins, a mix of grace and agitation. This track could be heavier, though, especially on the bottom end. In the other instrumental, "Price to Pay," a Spanish-sounding guitar (which makes briefer appearances elsewhere) gives this closing song the feeling of a requiem or elegy, mournful but also suggestive of a tormented soul finally finding peace.

Like the guitarwork, the percussion is also multi-faceted, with some unusual elements added to what are otherwise fairly standard (but well-executed) techniques. Drummer Stanko Muskinja favors "high" percussive sounds, not all of which work for me. He seems to be in love with the china cymbal, using it with great frequency as a solitary punctuating sound or as a barrage, and it's a cool touch. I could, however, do without a lot of the clicky, ticky noises he creates in other instances.

This album would be greatly improved, I believe, if it were trimmed of 3 or 4 songs. A bit on the long side, it feels even lengthier, partly because of the sameness of frontman Darko Etinger's somewhat generic strained shout. Very occasionally he throws in a cleaner, semi-spoken voice, bleakly spitting out the words in a way that seems more powerfully emotive than his usual, less subtle delivery. Although Mario Romanic's clean vocals add some variety, his singing is rather stilted-sounding. There is more diversity in the instrumentation than the vocals, but it exists, with some exceptions, more within songs than between them. Due either to weariness with the overall sound or to the lack of any real standouts among them, Tracks 10 - 13 sort of run together for me, and the main riff in "Stillborn" is very similar to that of the album's opener, "Conspiracy," though less catchy. Nevertheless, "Paths of Insanity" can be recommended to anyone looking for melodic death metal with a twist, and in this case there are two: an unusual concept and very "different" types of musical details.

written by Maud

Playing time: 59.07