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Vanden Plas: Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld

It is no exaggeration when I say that the 2010 album, The Seraphic Clockwork, from Germany's Vanden Plas restored my faith in Progressive Metal. Four years ago, utter the words Prog and Metal to me in the same sentence, and I'd immediately conjure up images of fifty note a second guitar solos, chaotic keyboard crescendos and a lengthy queue of LaBrie-alikes. In short, not good. However Seraphic was a different beast altogether, poised yet brutal, full of as many memorable hooks as any Pop album you care to mention, yet challenging, uncompromising and conceptual. Vanden Plas were a band doing it their way and only caring for those wishing to expand their horizons to a similar extent. That they delivered music with a level of engagement equal to the craft behind it and as beguiling as it was grandiose, merely illustrated masters at work. Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld simply confirms all of the above once more.

As the title alludes, this is another concept album, but not a band for doing things by halves, Vanden Plas have teamed up with German author Wolfgang Hohlbein, who has sold 43 million books worldwide, to tell the story of The Chronicles Of The Immortals. The idea first came when the band began crafting a stage play based on his book series in conjunction with Hohlbein, where VP frontman Andy Kuntz sang on stage while his bandmates manned the orchestra pit. Twenty five sold out shows came and went to huge acclaim, before the band set about adapting the play into an album of two parts (the second being due in 2015). In short the concept is too detailed to cover properly here, but Heaven and Hell are pitted against each other with immortals struggling for power, while others seek to regain balance to the world; this first Netherworld chapter closing with all hope seemingly lost....

It is a great story and one perfect for Vanden Plas, Kuntz taking on the role of storyteller, giving a narrative view, rather than the standard multi-vocalist interpretation so many seem to favour now and it works a treat right from his atmospheric spoken word introduction. As ever with VP though, the real strength on Netherworld is how all of the constituent parts come together to deliver an album of stunning depth, dazzling musicianship, captivating themes and utterly believable performances. Kuntz is a real star, but then so are his bandmates Stephan Lill (guitars), Torsten Reichert (bass), Günter Werno (keyboards) and Andreas Lill (drums), the quintet individually and collectively proving again that they are at the very pinnacle of this genre.

One of the most impressive features of tracks such as "Vision 7ven - The King And Children Of Lost World", "Vision 9ine - Soul Alliance", or "Vision 5ive - A Ghosts Requiem", is how they venture through such a variety of full on gallops, restrained beauty, dazzling virtuosity and atmospheric emotions, all without the need to pack in as many notes as possible, or lean on stereotypes and obvious influences. The album works perfectly as a set of individual tracks, however taken in its entirety it truly becomes a majestic beast of power and force, beauty and gravity. I genuinely wondered (and worried) about whether Vanden Plas could live up to the standards they set on The Seraphic Clockwork, Christ O, or indeed Beyond Daylight. I needn't have, it appears they can do no wrong.

In 2010 a Sea of Tranquility reader questioned my reasoning to not score The Seraphic Clockwork with the seldom seen SoT full five stars. This time I won't disappoint!


Track Listing
1. Vision 1ne
2. Vision 2wo - The Black Knight
3. Vision 3hree - Godmaker
4. Vision 4our - Misery Affection Preluse
5. Vision 5ive - A Ghosts Requiem
6. Vision 6ix - New Vampyre
7. Vision 7ven - The King And The Children Of Lost World
8. Vision 8ight - Misery Affection
9. Vision 9ine - Soul Alliance
10. Vision 10n - Inside

Added: March 4th 2014
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Vanden Plas Online
Hits: 4305
Language: english

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» Reader Comments:

Vanden Plas: Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld
Posted by Karl Jones on 2014-04-05 14:59:27
My Score:

Ive been a big fan since hearing Colour Temple when it first came out, but in my opinion this album and the last are just not as good as the earlier material. Beyond Daylight was excellent Christ O was good, but its gone downhill since. The songs just aren't as good, and everything sounds overly dramatic to compensate.




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