UMUR "A Sense of Change" is the 3rd full-length studio album by German progressive metal act Sieges Even. The album was released through Steamhammer Records/SPV in January 1991. A lineup change has taken place as new singer Jogi Kaiser has replaced lead vocalist Franz Herde who sang on both "Life Cycle (1988)" and "Steps" (1990). The usual suspects are guitarist Markus Steffen and the Holzwarth brothers Oliver and Alexander on bass and drums respectively.

The music on "A Sense of Change" is technical progressive metal. Sieges Even have developed their technical approach to progressive metal even further since the release of "Steps". New lead vocalist Jogi Kaiser is skilled and has a strong voice. The tracks have multible sections, very complex rythms and intricate and quite melodic playing. Especially the Holzwarth brothers rythm section is incredible. Very fusion influenced, extremely tight and innovative. Guitarist Markus Steffen is also quite the asset. His playing sometimes remind me of how Alex Lifeson from Rush sounds. Actually there are many references to Rush throughout the album but also "Perfect Symmetry (1989)" by Fates Warning must have been a big influence on Sieges Even. The music on "A Sense of Change" is much more complex than anything those two acts ever released though.

There are 8 tracks on the album. Most tracks are in the trademark complex and technically challenging Sieges Even style but the track "Change of Seasons" (hmm...does that ring a bell anyone?) is a bit different because it features strings. The tracks generally take quite a while to get to know, but repeated listens help. It´s not the most accessible music in the world and it´s probably not meant to be either. The vocal melodies are not that memorable to begin with and personally I find them a bit unremarkable if I have to be honest. It´s often that the technical playing gets in the way of power and while the music flow pretty well I could have wished for more focus on strong melodies and less focus on impossible to play time signature changes. But it´s probably the lack of power that gets me the most. It´s like these guys forgot that they were once a metal act. It´s all very sophisticated but I really miss some bite.

The production is professional but a bit cold and uninviting if you ask me.

I like music to captivate me and conjure up emotions in me. Anger, happiness, melancholy...etc. The music on "A Sense of Change" conjures up nothing like that in me. In fact it pretty much leaves me cold. It´s an excellent display of technical playing and in that field Sieges Even are way ahead of most other acts in the genre. And that´s actually saying a lot when you consider the general high quality of playing on most progressive metal albums. The music is somewhat soulless to my ears though and while I can enjoy the technical playing on the album from a musicians point of view, the lack of emotion and power becomes a big issue in the end. It´s not a bad album as such and there´s a chance others might feel emotionally touched, but as I said above "A Sense of Change" leaves me rather cold and I feel like I´m stretching when I`m giving this album a 3.5 star (70%) rating.

1967/ 1976 Sieges Even is probably the missing link between Rush and Thrash Metal least listening to "A Sense Of Change", which, at the end of the show is a jazz album! I can not see this thing, which for me is crucial. If I seek a band highly technical and I don't want to go to trouble the band Death Jazz I got to fall here. Not because "A Sense of Change" is an expression of the title, power to unite Rush, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jaco Pastorius, Weather Report with Metallica, Megadeth, Santana etc... without going to try at all costs free virtuosity. Power of 4 unique and uncompromising musicians (Holzwarth brothers Markus Steffen and Jogi Kaiser) that too naturally, give birth to music that is also copied by bands like Dream Theatre (it seems the result of evolution, not emulation, which otherwise would sound bad). But, because without music trivia, the Sieges Even trying to carve out their slice of paradise, and since, it must be said, they try to start from a basic thrash metal, jazz and added too vehemently. Another strong point. Don't think that folk is absent in this album. The orchestral "Change Of Seasons" is a reference to the Folk Rock of American singer-songwriters and presents rhythm research very close to Baroque music, though it may go unnoticed unless you are experienced.

It may seem strange, but "A Sense Of Change" could easily be made in the 70's, without which seemed a great album. Composed in 1991 sounds innovative and integrated into the brutally Jazz Metal genre invented by Ian Gillan at the end of the 70's. I know many of you will find what I said too close to my humble (and only my) thinking. But I see it that way. Also I see in this proposal the musical evolution of fusion, a genre that many considered dead and buried.

At the end "A Sense Of Change" is the real start of modern European Prog Metal and since "A Sense Of Change" is a pure masterpiece...

ovidiu It was quite difficult for me to choose a single SIEGES EVEN album and to consider it the absolute masterpiece of the band!This German band was in the beginning considered like the European answer to WATCHTOWER,with the impressive LIFE CYCLES debut album!What was a serious handicap for the band was an awful vocalist on the first 2 albums,which literaly ruined almost everything ,with an unbelieveble weak vocal register compared to the excellent other instrumentists in the band!After a monumental second album -the ambitious STEPS concept album,a certain YOGI camed in the band and made the most complet and complex SIEGES ALBUM ever -A SENSE OF CHANGE!This album is strongly RUSH influenced and it's the perfect mix between amazing technical skills,a perfect vocalist and very,very ambitious and catchy compositions!The production is perfect and puts in evidence each instrument-HOLZWARTH brothers are impressive and Markus Steffen-the guitar player is a very intelligent and original musician too!A true musical pearl,a monster album for amateurs of technical progressive metal,not in the speed register,but in twisted and scarry chops and complicated rhythms!Wonderful display of fantastic music from 4 amazingly talented musicians!5 STARS for a musical jewel!