This band coming from St. Petersburg takes symphonic keyboards with a stylistic spectrum extending
from the Middle Ages to the Baroque Period and mixes them with numerous harpsichord-, piano- and organ melodies.
Hard guitars are there as well, of course, but they are kept a bit in the background. Nevertheless, almost always
present are some of the most beautiful acoustic and electric guitar melodies ever heard of. The voice of singer
Veromir is the dot on the "i": his abilities include very well done Death Metal Growls (like in 'Return to the
Ancient Prophecy') as well as epical sad singing ('Rainbow Hunt'), which is by far the dominant style.
The songs are not catchy, don't worry, but they shoot so many melodies through your head on this CD, like
some other combos would not be able to do in their whole carrier. For some people this is ornate, for others
just a self-contained masterpiece in terms of song-writing and atmosphere. The only weak point: the bad sound
of the drums. Anyhow, this album certainly deserves a lot of appreciation!
David Wassermann (English translation by Ralf Herrmann)
the Signs of the Times:
1. Lust of Destiny
2. Return of the Ancient Prophecy
3. Great Sanctuary
4. Reverse Side of the Universe
5. Rainbow Hunt
6. Predestination
7. Dedication
8. the Signs of the Times
