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"Vanden Plas is back at the top of the progressive metal bands he should never have left with this opus which is likely to be one of the best productions of 2006."
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4/5
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4 long years after a disappointing "Beyond Daylight" overall where only the superb eponymous track stood out and justified the purchase of the opus, Vanden Plas comes back to us with this 5th studio album. Did the Germans use this long break to recharge their batteries and give their music a new impetus? Will they put their "solo" experiences to the benefit of the collective?
These are all questions to which the cover gives a first answer. Indeed, while the previous ones highlighted muscular metal, the one of "Christ 0" is much more nuanced through an undeniably enigmatic cold beauty giving it the appearance of a film poster....
This impression is confirmed by the fact that "Christ 0" is a concept album based on the obscure hero of Alexandre Dumas' "Le Comte de Monte-Christo"... At the same time, Vanden Plas takes on an additional dimension by incorporating symphonic elements anticipated on the sublime concept, dear to Andy Kuntz, "Abydos"... It appears that the music of the Germans comes out of the cliché of German progressive metal heavy and direct in which they had locked themselves since the last 2 productions!
"Chrit 0" is therefore a much richer and more exciting album - in short, beautiful - than these predecessors by alternating incisive heavy metal tracks that have made the band famous and others much more subtle, combining progressive metal and symphonic elements particularly used on tracks like the fabulous "Fireroses Dance" or "January Sun" even if the latter can suffer from a few lengths...
On the personal side, Stephan Lill's solos are more incisive and sharp than ever in the midst of ever-heavy riffs... Moreover, not content with the above-mentioned enhancements, the German guitarist is enriching the palette of his already extensive playing, by adding on "Silently" a few Spanish guitar notes very popular in current progressive productions... The rhythm section is not to be outdone as can be seen in "Shadow I am" where Torsten Reichert reviews all his bass player talents and Andreas Lill proves that, behind his drums, he has nothing to envy to his brother... Finally, Andy Kuntz's vocals are the ideal complement to the music played by Vanden Plas and as in "Abydos", his emotional palette has grown considerably to reach the full heart of the listener...
In short, Vanden Plas is back at the top of the progressive metal bands he should never have left with this opus which is likely to be one of the best productions of 2006... It should be noted that the limited edition contains the title "Gethsemane" from the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" which is no different from the previous compositions! - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Chrit.0
02. Postcard To God
03. Wish You Where Here
04. Silently
05. Shadow I Am
06. Fireroses Dance
07. Somewhere Alone In The Dark
08. January Sun
09. Lost In Silence
10. Gethsemane
LINEUP:
Andreas Lill: Batterie
Andy Kuntz: Chant
Günter Werno: Claviers
Stephan Lill: Guitares
Torsten Reichert: Basse
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(0) COMMENT(S)
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The album may not have been released or the spotify ID has not yet been entered or there is no spotify ID available
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READERS
4.4/5 (7 view(s))
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STAFF:
4.1/5 (10 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH VANDEN PLAS
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LAST INTERVIEW
VANDEN PLAS (DECEMBER 22, 2020)
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On the occasion of the release of "The Ghost Experiment: Illumination", Stephan Lill confided at length to Music Waves
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT VANDEN PLAS
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