Artist: Spheric Universe Experience  
   Title: Anima
   Label: Sensory Records

June has certainly been the month of the Progressive bands whether it be Prog Metal, Prog Rock, Prog anything really with new releases from the giants like Dream Theater to the more newer bands like Spheric Universe Experience, the quality has always been of the highest calibre and 'Anima' is another fine example of great Progressive Metal.

Spheric Universe Experience are Fred Columbo on keyboards, John Drai on bass, Frank Garcia on vocals, Vince Benaim on guitar and completing the line-up Nico “Ranko” Muller on drums.  'Anima' is the follow up to the bands 2003 debut album 'Mental Torments' and once again follows the same line as the debut with Tommy Hansen at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark putting the final touches to the album once again.  And what a job he has done as he brings the whole Spheric Universe Experience out into a huge bombastic Prog extravaganza full of massive keys, a thumping rhythm section, great guitar sound and a huge vocal array of melodies.

The album gets underway in the most spectacular of fashions with ‘Sceptic’, this full on prog assault lays down a solid foundation for the remainder of the album which excels beyond all expectations.

Things continue with the instrumental ‘Being’ with its only words coming from the narrative intro, then it’s into the heavy bass and drums and a combination of flailing guitars and keys, as the track evolves into a medley of bass riffs and guitar solos all backed by the thunderous drums of Muller, then the track simply melts into ‘The Inner Quest’ with such ease you can't tell the end of one track and the beginning of the next.

‘The Inner Quest’ is a more aggressive affair than its predecessor with more flamboyant keyboards from Columbo and a double kick assault from Muller all combined with the finest vocals so far from Garcia.

‘Neptune’s Revenge’ is next this is the band firing on all cylinders, a battering ram of a drum solo opens things up then from there on in it's all systems go with some fine guitars and keys, but it’s the rampaging rhythm section of Drai and Muller that is main stay of the track with Garcia once again superb vocally.  This has to be one of my favourite tracks on the album just because of its sheer forceful splendour.

It's back to the instrumentals with ‘Stormy Dome’, a gentle piano refrain that acts as the calm after the storm that was ‘Neptune’s Revenge’, then it's back to the full on Progressive Metal once more with ‘World Of Madness’.  A more traditional spin on the whole Prog Metal sound with Garcia really giving it his all on this one and once again the powerhouse rhythms of Muller and Drai are at the thick end of the track once again.

As you listen to the album you will notice how the album just flows effortlessly from one track to the next, this has to be put down to the superb mixing of Hansen who really has brought out the best in the Spheric Universe Experiences sound.

The album continues to impress with the hard-edged Metal of ‘End of Trauma’, another thumping assault that is simply magnificent with Benaim showing what he can do on this one as he just rips it up throughout the track and with the rest of the band equal to it, with some excellent work by all.

The splendour continues with ‘Heal My Pain’ after the Japanese narrative intro it's down to business with another hammer filled Prog Metal blitz that leads into ‘Questions’, which is a lyrical masterpiece as each line is just a question with one of my favourites being ... “Why does music feed our mind and heart”  ... The track itself is just Garcia asking the questions with Columbo accompanying him on keys for this gentle yet powerful song.

The next track ‘The Key’ opens up with another narrative this time in French with Columbo’s gentle piano along side then the bass of Drai joins in and the pair build things up into a crescendo before Benaim brings in the guitars, which lead into Garcia’s vocals then the whole track unfolds into a magnum opus of Progressive Metal.

The album closes with the instrumental ‘Black Materia’, a pulsating attack of drums and bass all wrapped in a dark shroud of soaring guitars and keyboards and rounds off what will surely become the bench mark for all albums of the genre to follow and one that will get the name ‘Spheric Universe Experience’ on the lips of Prog Metal fans worldwide.

All content copyright of The Mayfair Mall Zine unless otherwise stated.