VANDEN PLASTHE GOD THING (1997)
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After the enjoyable acoustic excursion that was the Accult album, Vanden Plas returned in 1997 with The God Thing, the first "real" follow-up to their 1994 debut Colour Temple. The "Dream Theater meets Dokken" melodic progressive metal style the band displayed on that album is back in force on The God Thing.
The God Thing was my first Vanden Plas album. I paid an exorbitantly high price for a used copy when I was in my "anything that sounds like Dream Theater" phase. Unlike a lot of the bands I tried (and later abandoned) during that time, Vanden Plas remains a favorite today. It's evident on The God Thing that Vanden Plas isn't just another prog metal band. For one thing, these guys wrote actual songs, not just solos, and while the songs average about 7 minutes each, they never feel like exercises in self-indulgent instrumental wankery. This may be a result of vocalist Andy Kuntz's heavy involvement in the songwriting process.
Beyond the band's impressive technical skills and Kuntz's distinct vocals, there is an abundance of great melodies. The songs pull you in and really stick in your head. I tend to skip past the obligatory instrumental introductory track, but after a few seconds of Fire Blossom I was hooked, and it just carried me into Rainmaker. The whole album is strong, but its shining moment is the stirring, emotional Crown of Thorns, which to this day remains my absolute favorite Vanden Plas song.
The God Thing is a great progressive metal album, and the best Vanden Plas release. If you're into this kind of music, I can't imagine this album failing to please.
The God Thing was my first Vanden Plas album. I paid an exorbitantly high price for a used copy when I was in my "anything that sounds like Dream Theater" phase. Unlike a lot of the bands I tried (and later abandoned) during that time, Vanden Plas remains a favorite today. It's evident on The God Thing that Vanden Plas isn't just another prog metal band. For one thing, these guys wrote actual songs, not just solos, and while the songs average about 7 minutes each, they never feel like exercises in self-indulgent instrumental wankery. This may be a result of vocalist Andy Kuntz's heavy involvement in the songwriting process.
Beyond the band's impressive technical skills and Kuntz's distinct vocals, there is an abundance of great melodies. The songs pull you in and really stick in your head. I tend to skip past the obligatory instrumental introductory track, but after a few seconds of Fire Blossom I was hooked, and it just carried me into Rainmaker. The whole album is strong, but its shining moment is the stirring, emotional Crown of Thorns, which to this day remains my absolute favorite Vanden Plas song.
The God Thing is a great progressive metal album, and the best Vanden Plas release. If you're into this kind of music, I can't imagine this album failing to please.
1. Fire Blossom
2. Rainmaker
3. Garden of Stones
4. In You: I Believe
5. Day I Die
6. Crown of Thorns
7. We're Not God
8. Salt in My Wounds
9. You Fly
Bonus Track
10. Combien de Larmes (How Many Tears, French Version)
11. Spanish Rain
12. Days of Thunder (Acoustic Version)
13. Raining in My Heart
2. Rainmaker
3. Garden of Stones
4. In You: I Believe
5. Day I Die
6. Crown of Thorns
7. We're Not God
8. Salt in My Wounds
9. You Fly
Bonus Track
10. Combien de Larmes (How Many Tears, French Version)
11. Spanish Rain
12. Days of Thunder (Acoustic Version)
13. Raining in My Heart
1 comment:
thank you
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