Lost in Thought - Opus Arise [2011]

Lost in Thought is yet another project backed by prestigious producer Jacob Hansen, following in the great tradition of modern progressive juggernauts Anubis Gate and Pagan's Mind. Indeed, the music itself is pretty much an amalgam of every modern progressive metal tendency ever thought of. You've got your high register, hyper-melodic vocalist with a slight accent, an absolutely flawless, crystal clear production, over the top keyboards, and relatively simple songs that often manage to stretch themselves out across 6-7 minute tracks; and it's all delivered with top notch musicianship and an almost overbearing insistence upon achieving complete and utter perfection. Yep, it's another one of those bands, but really, Lost in Thought isn't half bad.

The good news here is that Lost in Thought doesn't strike the listener as the soulless prog machine many of these bands do. Nate Loosemore's smooth voice doesn't take command with a lot of power or character, but it is emotive enough to remember some of the more developed choruses here. That's another positive: repeating parts and songs instead of pointless meanderings. Not every track is perfect, but songs like gracefully forceful "Entity" and the Pyramaze-like "Blood Red Diamond" (sporting the most memorable chorus on the album) certainly leave a good impression. The airy, 'happy' "Seek to Find" is an uplifting number. Unfortunately, the second half can't quite live up to the first. The band's eponymous track shines, however, with the most impressive instrumentation on the record.

I do have to give the band credit for managing to hold back the desire to go all Dream Theater and challenge the limits of what a CD can hold length-wise. Fifty minutes is just the right length for this style, as any more would feel tedious and any less would come off as cheap. Still, I can't say I was fully enthralled for the entire duration. May problem with this release probably lies in the fact that we've all heard this exact song and dance dozens of times before, so nothing here really remains all that surprising or interesting after a couple good listens. However, Opus Arise is still a decent stab at the genre, and its definitely worth a listen or two from progressive metal fans for its highlights. I have a feeling this isn't the last I'll hear from this band, so maybe they'll strike even harder next time.

   Overall: 7/10 (Good)