When I first got this CD I was not overcome with excitement. Although I found their debut album to be OK it faded out rather quickly so when this disc arrived I really wasn't expecting a whole hell of a lot. I pride myself with being able to admit when I am wrong and boy was I ever wrong about this disc.
This is one very impressive album from start to finish. This album is so much better than the debut it is hard to believe it is still the same band. There have been some changes and I can honestly say they were all for the better. First off you have Ville Laihiala taking over the vocal duties which really gives the music a heavier edge and to some degree remind you a lot more of Sentenced but that is really inevitable. The album as a whole sounds a lot heavier overall and that has a lot to do with the biggest advancement on this disc over the debut. Plain and simply the songwriting is just head and shoulders above Escapextacy. Where that album tried really hard to appeal to a more Gothic audience this one here has a more wide ranging style. It will still certainly appeal to fans of Lacuna Coil, Sentenced and Charon but the songs themselves have a very catchy feel to them which should really garner them some new fans if this gets any play whatsoever. The opening track (Nothing Else Remains) really illustrates where this album will take you and it is really hammered home by track 9 (Never Enough) which will stick in your head for days afterwards.
I will admit there are a few moments of filler here and there (mainly the slower tempo songs) but overall this is a damn fine album and one that I can easily recommend. If you like any of the other bands mentioned in this review you will certainly like this disc as well.
