POST UPDATED...LINK REMOVED by request of the artist !!

The 4th album from REDEMPTION follow a similar
concept and sound that the 3rd Origin of Ruin but is definitely more mature in term of songwriting and ideas....I will need more listening to get a final review but this album can become a real masterpiece in progressive metal !!!

Studio Album, released in 2009

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Peel (6:31)
2. Walls (6:57)
3. Leviathan Rising (6:42)
4. Black and White World (8:03)
5. Unformed (6:30)
6. Keep Breathing (7:37)
7. Another Day Dies (5:15)
8. What Will You Say (5:20)
9. Fistful of Sand (6:35)
10. Love Kills Us All / Life in One Day (11:00)

Total Time 70:26

Line-up / Musicians - Ray Alder / vocals
- Nicolas van Dyk / guitar, keyboard
- Bernie Versailles / guitar
- Sean Andrews / bass
- Greg Hoshariah / keyboard
- Chris Quirarte / drums

Guest musicians:
- James LaBrie / vocals (7)

Review:
Imagine if the two best progressive metal acts, Dream Theater and Fates Warning produced? Most likely it would turn out to be something like Redemption, the band led by guitarist Nick van Dyk and Fates Warning’s own legendary vocalist Ray Alder infuses heavy moments, melodic moments, symphonic moments and profound lyrics. On their new album Snowfall On Judgment Day the band shows that they are at the forefront of the progressive metal scene along with the two aforementioned bands.

With the latest release, it is evident that the torch has been passed to Redemption as this is truly remarkable stuff. Ray Alder, while he can’t reach the vocals he was able to produce in his early years, brings an emotional impact to the band’s superb musicianship that only he can produce.

The album is the most diverse album of the band’s career. Unlike their previous album The Origins of Ruin where they went in a more melodic direction, there are plenty of heavy tracks on the album such as the opener “Peel” that has Alder with harsher vocals juxtaposed to ripping guitar solos. This is not to say though that they have done away with the melodic moments though. “Walls”, “Black and White World” and “Keep Breathing” are excellent representations of Redemption’s melodically beautiful moments.

What will amaze some is that the band has matured even more so than they already were. “Walls” for example shows that this band is not just about musicality but that they have something to say with lyrics such as “I’ve been peeling away the layers/Digging to the center/Trying to find some common thread to follow.” Unlike some of the more European prog metal bands and metal bands in general, the lyrical content while understandable is not as much “on the nose” as most tend to be. In fact, most of the tracks, with the exception of “Leviathan Rising”, has a lot to do with personal relationships, breaking barriers and making the best out of life.

Also featured on the album is a surprise duet between Alder and Dream Theater’s James Labrie that is prog fan’s wet dream. Despite it being the most mainstream track on the album, the duet works with the band itself doing what it does best, play great music with alternating time signatures done to perfection. What truly stands out more than anything in the track is the rhythm’s section’s preciseness that give the guitars a backseat midway through the track.

The true landmark of the album though is the 11 minute epic “Love Kills Us All/Life In One Day” that exemplifies the best in prog metal with ghostly, atmospheric keyboards in the beginning that work to perfection with Alder’s emotional delivery, to the eerie piano playing that precedes the epic musicianship that continues to, well, progress throughout the rest of the track. The end is pure gold with beautifully sang vocal lines at the conclusion “Will you think about the chance for love you threw away/Will you think about the mistakes you made along the way/Will you think about the place that we might be today/What will you say…” – the perfect capper to an album of such variety, musicality and thought provoking messages.

Simply put, Snowfall On Judgment Day, while not the magnum opus of Porcupine Tree’s The Incident, is a guideline to what progressive metal should be and proves that Redemption are at the forefront of this underground genre. The question remains though, will Redemption stay in that underground area like Fates Warning has been stuck in for 25+ years or will they gain the legion of fans Dream Theater has? Only time will tell, but at the end of the day, they made the album of their career thus far and that’s what really matters.