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Illusion Suite are from Oslo and now they present their album Final Hour. They kick off with The Wire, a dark progressive melodic metal track with a catchy hook. Singer Bill Makatowicz has a powerful voice and shows his range by delivering whatever the songs requires. Guitarist Øyvind Larsen's play supports the song and don't end up in showing off skills. I know that many will see similarities to Dream Theater, but I would rather describe this one as a melange of Evergrey, Circus Maximus - to name another Norwegian band - and Threshold. With Scarlet Skies they offer a progressive metal tune which is a real ear catcher! A bit like early Lions' Share when it comes to progressiveness and melodies. But at Scarlet Skies you also find some neo-classical elements and heavy riffing. Slowly with acoustic guitar and vocals they kick off A Moment To Remember, a very emotional opening. But then they head into a fast symphonic metal track with complex structures. The song has twists and turns which make time flying and you don't realize that this one is an 8 minute long track! This suite make me hope for a conceptual album of the Norwegians! They know how to tell a story in music and words! And with Pandora's Box they present another highlight! At The Adventures Of Arcan they use female vocals one more time. Another long opus with 15+ minutes, and again they manage to keep it interesting for the listener.
The Norwegian foursome is delivering a very strong debut! They manage to balance heaviness, progressiveness and melody - to make it more interesting they add some other elements and sounds. If Illusion Suite keep going strong then soon the will be part of the premier league! Luckily this wasn't just an illusion... It was Illusion Suite! And not their final hour!
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