Vanden Plas
The Seraphic Clockwork

A prophecy from the Old Testament. An apocalyptic vision. A journey through time in a desperate attempt to alter one's destiny. The arrival at the mythical Jerusalem of 33 A.D. These are the ingredients of the magical mix of religiosity (haunting and distressing) and science fiction called "The Seraphic Clockwork", the new work by Vanden Plas. The German band, following the excellent "Christ 0", presents another concept album, which forcefully joins the ranks of the best albums of 2010.

At first listen, "The Seraphic Clockwork" might seem like a typical prog-metal album: extremely long songs (the final "On My Way To Jerusalem" lasts almost 13 minutes), a structure of the songs typical of the genre, a sound influenced by the Kamelot of "The Black Halo" and the familiar Dream Theater. But it's not like that. This work is not a drop in the ocean; it's a diamond among amethysts. In two words, it stands out.

The opening track "Frequency" provides the listener with the coordinates within which the entire work is framed: in the piece, the aggressive riffs of Stephan Lill's guitar alternate with the enchanting keyboard interludes of Günter Werno, accompanied here by soft strings. The two never steal the scene from each other, enriching the songs with the masterful interweaving of their instruments. The splendid voice of frontman Andy Kuntz relaxes and smooths out, narrating the traveler's misadventures with remarkable engaging power.

If the first part of the album already presents a hidden drama, penetrated into the veins of the group also thanks to their recent musical productions (including "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Hair"), it is undoubtedly the second part that makes "The Seraphic Clockwork" a masterpiece. Vanden Plas partially detach from the typical features of their style—to which the first tracks are strongly tied—composing pieces such as "Quicksilver" and "On My Way To Jerusalem", turned into true gems with epic tones, the variety of sounds, the skillful use of choirs, the acoustic guitar, and phenomenal songwriting. "Eleyson", a bonus track sung in French, earns the last well-deserved applause.

Even though the tracks are long, it is evident how nothing is left to chance: every sound serves the economy of the album, dismantling any semblance of redundancy. Vanden Plas excellently project us into the visions and journeys of the protagonist, transmitting an emotionality that is truly hard to find in the works of such a technical and "glacial" genre as prog-metal. The only notable flaw, it's unfortunate to say, lies in Kuntz's voice: despite being a highly gifted singer, Andy's vocals lack those "raspy" tones that would have enhanced, significantly, some tracks (especially "Sound Of Blood"). But, after all, this is the very essence of Vanden Plas: a band perhaps not very glamorous, but in terms of professionalism and reliability, they truly rank second to few.