revelation...
Flight of Fancy 10/10
In search of some prog metal that wasnt a Dream Theater clone, i wouldve never believed that a group as technical, proficient and unique as X-Panda would originate such masterpiece as a debut. It is certainly among the best albums ive ever heard, regardless if its prog metal or not. It is certainly a laid-back and relaxed release, think of it as the perfect mix between liquid tension experiment, planet x, and symphony x. It is certainly on a league of its own, and these guys managed to pull off an album that is easy to listen but is also quick to adhere to your senses. It definately grows on you at the moment you press play. All of the songs are different from each other: black is a strong yet controlled prog metal fest; dickybirds and flight of fancy are extremely well crafted songs with a very melodic presence; siren reminds me of "extension of the wish" by Andromeda (i also strongly recomend that album) and it is very catchy; journey of a dream is an adventure that cannot be put into words, it just makes you escape into a musical realm possible only in dreams, truly a one-of-a-kind track; keyboard solo is a continuation of journey, and it concludes such passage with passion and awesome musicality from keyboardist kaarel tamra; rhythm department is pure melodic mayhem, opposite as the title might suggest; calm waters really does calm the landscape portrayed by the previous track and it is among my favorites from the record; crystal gazing is an awesome track where the guitar and drums shine and it should be noted that none of the members of X-Panda try to steal the show at any time in the album, they all wirk together to create the best music as possible, like a REAL band; and the album finishes strong with revelation, my personal favorite, a very symphonic and powerful track, and the violin solo just took my breath away.
In conclusion, Flight of Fancy is a unique experience that is up to par with other heavyweight prog metal releases this year such as Dream Theater, Symphony X, Arch/Matheos, Anubis Gate, you name it.
If you think you've heard all the prog metal you'll ever need well think again, because X-Panda is here to stay!!