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Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation ...
Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of ...
Melodic Progressive Metal
5.0/5.0
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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 17.04.2024 | Released: 19.04.2024
Germany's Vanden Plas, formed by brothers Andreas and Stephan Lill are two years from celebrating 40 years in the underground metal scene. Since their debut album, Colour Temple, in 1994 the band has consistently dropping new albums. Most recently in 2022, they released a CD/DVD live album, Live & Immortal, featuring a compilation of fan favorites. Now, Vanden Plas arrives with their latest and tenth studio album, The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things, which features the addition of new keyboard player Alessandro Del Vecchio who replaces Günter Werno.
Vanden Plas
As expected, Vanden Plas delivers their interpretation of melodic progressive metal which is technical, expansive, and generally epic in nature. Song composition comes from guitarist Stephan Lill which means you'll hear vigorous riffs and mighty solos. Lyrics and vocal imagery come from vocalist Andy Kuntz, but I don't believe this to be a concept album.
Exploring the album and the songs within, the album starts with the title track. That's not odd or uncommon. Yet, the song is mostly instrumental melodic progressive rock. It's heavy with mixed tempos and shifting breakdowns. Kuntz arrives about the four minute mark but is very repressed. My Icarian Flight, the first single and shortest song, comes next. The song is essentially melodic metal rock with plenty of groove and significant pacing.
In the center of the album are Sanctimonarium and The Sacrilegious Mind Machine, both quintessential Vanden Plas: technical, bombastic, and filled with shifting segues and time signatures. Andreas Lill is on fire with his drumming within both songs. Something more sublime comes with They Call Me God, which turns upon voice, light guitar, and piano at the start for a rising anthem. The crescendo is heavy riffs and epic guitar solo.
The finishing opus, March Of The Saints is simply another robust, dense, and symphonic prog metal song, yet with a lingering piano line and a soft breakdown in the middle which features voice over piano. Stephan Lill makes his guitar heard in the first and last third of the song. But the glue that holds the arrangement together seems to be the riffs, rhythm section, and vocal arrangement. However you describe it, the song is rather epic.
All said, The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things finds Vanden Plas at their very best: creating robust, technical, and entertaining melodic progressive metal which impress and please their fans and fans of the genre. Very recommended.
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The Take Away
All said, The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things finds Vanden Plas at their very best: creating robust, technical, and entertaining melodic progressive metal which impress and please their fans and fans of the genre. Very recommended.
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