By: Tordah

Posted: Apr 25, 2006

The first time I listened to the album it seemed kind of dull but that was an opinion that was soon about to change. "Christ.0" is an immensely deep and complex journey that takes several spins to sink in. It's clear that Vanden Plas haven't been on the lazy side these four years since their last release "Beyond Daylight" in 2002. "Christ.0" contains 10 magnificent tracks spanning over 60 minutes that showcases excellent musicianship and brilliant song-writing. The band has always been great musicians but the song-writing has improved a lot since "Beyond Daylight". Several songs on that album felt too long and drawn out for their own good but that problem has been fixed now. The songs on "Christ.0" all have their own identity and story to tell. The music is powerful, deep, emotional and most importantly, it's memorable. "Christ.0" is not an album that sticks with you the first time you listen to it, maybe not even the third or fourth time. But once you get into the album it's extremely rewarding. I've noticed that it's the albums that are harder to get into that I seem to enjoy the most. Such is also the case with "Christ.0".

What can I say about the musicianship other than it's flawless? The band is incredibly tight and every instrument is equally important in the sound picture. The excellent production makes sure that this is possible and that no instrument outshines the other. Even during the more complex arrangements you can hear the rumbling bass-line and the keyboards in the background. When there's a guitar-solo that doesn't mean it sounds twice as loud as everything else. No, you can still easily concentrate on listening to the backing rhythms if you like. This also brings up one of Vanden Plas' triumph cards compared to other bands in the genre such as Dream Theater and their spawns. Whenever there's a solo section on "Christ.0" it always fits perfectly within the song and it never feels like a talent show-off. It’s not like Vanden Plas couldn't shred their socks off if they wanted, because they could. They just choose to concentrate their talent on crafting killer songs instead. Whenever there's a solo it's very good and always capture and empower the current mood of the song. The vocalist Andy Kuntz needs to be credited as well for his killer performance here. His singing is the icing of the cake that makes this album even more delicious.

The positive adjectives are many and I could go on all day praising "Christ.0" if I wanted to. There's not a single weak moment to be found on the whole album. Everything is perfect and I can't imagine the band ever making a better album than this. If they plan on doing that I suspect we will have to wait another four years for the next magnum opus to be written. "Christ.0" is a modern masterpiece and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves. Everyone needs to hear this album. This one will definitely be in my top 5 of 2006 when the year is over. A milestone in the progressive metal genre.

Rating: 10/10

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