X-PANDA — Flight of Fancy (review)

X-PANDA — Flight of Fancy album cover Album · 2011 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
J-Man
X-Panda is an interestingly named progressive metal act from Estonia, and Flight of Fancy is their impressive entrance into the scene. This mostly-instrumental debut showcases a talented young band with a unique sound, as well as a strong ability to write memorable and captivating compositions. Flight of Fancy is a truly remarkable musical experience - although many new progressive metal bands tend to derive too much from Dream Theater and the like, X-Panda truly has something unique to offer with this debut effort. All in all, Flight of Fancy is a highly successful mix of progressive rock, jazz, and metal; fans of those genres should definitely give these guys a shot.

Flight of Fancy does contain a handful of vocal sections, but most of its seventy-minute duration is entirely instrumental. Unlike most instrumental prog metal, however, there's a very strong sense of melody and harmony in every single one of the compositions. X-Panda is not afraid to show off their stunning technical capabilities as musicians, but none of the compositions ever seem like a mere vehicle for soloing. Though the musicianship and production shine throughout all of Flight of Fancy, I'd argue that the album's strongest asset lies in the deep and intricate songwriting. The album is pretty long (clocking in at nearly seventy minutes), but it doesn't ever seem to drag on too much. X-Panda's fascinating blend of jazz, prog, and metal is instantly captivating; once you factor in the top-notch musicianship and excellent compositions, it's clear that we're dealing with a truly remarkable observation.

This young Estonian band made one hell of an entrance with Flight of Fancy, and I can safely regard X-Panda as one of the most promising acts on the scene today. Fans of progressive metal and jazz fusion with a unique twist should be sure to check out this impressive debut - this is one of 2011's more memorable albums for sure. 4 stars and a very warm recommendation are deserved. Let's hope to hear more from X-Panda in the coming years!
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Deviance Deathcore
ASHES INTO BLOOD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Equilibrium Atmospheric Sludge Metal
BESRA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tension Between Rot And Genesis Sludge Metal
ANTHESIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recycle Brain Crust Punk
C.P.G
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cartography Of The Mind Deathcore
TETHERED
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Besra – Unsullied (Music Video)
BESRA
Bosh66· 6 hours ago
Tethered - Breathe (Official Video)
TETHERED
Bosh66· 23 hours ago
Saltwound - Walking The Blade (OFFICIAL VISUALIZER)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - The Negative (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Saltwound - Drowning feat. Taylor Barber (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
SALTWOUND
Bosh66· 1 day ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed