Walking on H20 is one of those rare albums that enchants you from the moment you press play until the final note decays in your head - progressive metal has never sounded fresher and more vibrant in a very long time. Mind's Eye are masters of their craft, drawing upon a multitude of musical styles to create a synthesis of bright, eclectic and just plain brilliant progressive metal, utilizing 80's super-melodic hard rock, 70's prog rock, modern power metal and is influenced most prominently by classic symphonic rock such as the Electric Light Orchestra, Queen or even The Sweet. The first striking feature of Walking on H20 is the consistantly excellent performance by tenor vocalist Andreas Novak. Mr. Novak sings the high registers with a rich bassy tone so effortlessly, it makes James LaBrie look positively amateur. Freddie Mercury would even turn green with envy. His phrasing and tenor is flawless - simply flawless - and leads the oft-used choral arrangements to immerse the listener in a rich, warm sphere of sound. The songwriting is undeniably magnificent. Absolutely resplendent in it's approach and execution. The lyrical theme of human evolution is original to a point, but their most outstanding attribute is the attention to detail in their songwriting, however not wholly sacrificing the traditional "progressive" ideology of extreme technicality in doing so.
A Rabbit In The Hat is the perfect entrance to the album - cheerful yet cool vocals punctuate the song while the sharp guitars give it an 80's hard rock feel with an epic grandeur. Sahara in an Hourglass blends rock with an middle eastern exoticness where Out of My System is a simulacrum of a classic ELO number - vocoders, perky bass lines, multi-genre inspired riffs and keyboard hooks permeate this track ever so delightfully. Of course, Novak and his choir strikes gold again! Other tracks infuse hammond organs and other analog synthesizers in it's softer moments, such as the semi-balladic and synth-driven Umbrellas Under the Sun. Sacred Rules' down tempo, anthemic riffs build up into a climactic crecendo until release for the chorus - everything fits together seamlessly and pleasantly, and reminds one of Kamelot or Symphony X - especially the solo! The Flight of the Anunnaki is a Emerson, Lake and Palmer-esque jam-style song, Heal My Karma a symphonic joyride with some theatrics reminiscent of Dream Theater or Shadow Gallery that can be heard . There is some overzealous use of ill-chosen synthesizer sounds at times, but are only a minor complaint on an otherwise excellent album. When I Whisper is of course, their ballad track. It almost sounds like a Disney movie score in it's approach - Tim Rice would probably be proud to put his name to it, but then again, no one else would. Avoid if you're lactose intolerant. The final epic Posiedon Says showcases their advanced muscianship as their songwriting and string arrangement abilities reach a dramatic zenith. Some nifty guitarwork, both electric and acoustic. Mr. Novak saves his creative energy for last, pulling no punches as he glides through and belts out emphatically until gracefully retiring to a halt.
This disc is pure class, almost never wavering in it's radiance and distinction. Some metalheads might be turned off by the constant "happy" tone of the music, but i've said it before and I'll say it again - simply brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. (almost) 74 minutes of sonic bliss.
Rating: 9 / 10
Standout Tracks: All, except When I Whisper