Mechanical Poet - Eidoline: The Arrakeen Code (2008)

Though their albums have had varying degrees of quality, Mechanical Poet remains one of the most interesting Russian metal exports of the past decade. Originally they were a sort of potpourri of Harry Potter/Tim Burton imagery imposed over a hybrid of progressive metal and goth rock. But they've continued to evolve with each release, not content to repeat themselves. That said, the past few records have been good, just not great.

Now, let me ask, how many Dune concept albums have you heard in the metal genre lately? Individual songs, a few decades ago, by that OTHER metal band. But it seems Mechanical Poet have created a pretty interesting take on it. The material is fairly loyal to their roots. Heavier progressive metal with atmospheric synth lines and some goth overtones. Vladimir's vocals remind me quite a lot of Evergrey with that lower bite to them. This is obvious in the opener "Virus" with its driving guitars and fairly catchy chorus. "Fantasies" could very well be a Finnish gothic metal hymn, save it gets a little bouncier, but it builds to a nice vocal bridge. "Crawlers" begins with a groove to it, and again, their favorite part, the catchy chorus with the mid-range vocals. Most of the tracks follow this same tendency, and that is both their strength and weakness. Because, while aiming for those 'catchy' vocals, a lot become forgettable. The band also does some growling and screaming along the cleaner voice, tends to come off a little cheesy.

Still, the concept alone is enough to drive curiosity here. I also liked that all the tracks had single word titles, an interesting approach to the subject material. There are a few interesting bits wedged into some of the tracks, like the almost annoying yet functional female vocals during "Witches", or the scintillating pop synths of "Sands". Had it been honed a little sharper, the concept and music could have conjoined to create one of the most original albums of the year. As it stands, it's definitely a good listen for fans of prog metal, but the music just isn't memorable enough to pull in anyone else.

I certainly applaud Mechanical Poet for trying, and I'll say it here: if this band can ever write the songs to match their vivid visions, they'll be a force to reckon with.

Verdict: Win (7/10)

http://www.mechpoet.com/