The Italian prog-metal band Heart of Sun features shredding guitar solos, Dream Theater-like arrangements, superb musicianship, and enough of its own unique approach to songwriting to make me hope they release a new album soon. I love prog metal that offers shades of gray, atmospheric nuances interspersed with balls-out metal mania. When a band can engage my mind while it's kicking my behind, I'm a happy guy. There's enough comparison to Dream Theater here to make any prog-metal fan happy. But -- and I know I risk a tarring and feathering by admitting this -- I like Heart of Sun better than the last few Dream Theater albums. Take track five ("2016 AD.NET") for example. An offbeat, almost jazz-piano-like intro provides the bed for some tasty slap-bass playing, and nearly David Gilmore-like guitar noodling. The song is only 3:58. But it manages to pack a lot of clever musicianship into those scant four minutes. I can imagine this song would make for a great improv session played live. Three songs ("Evil Tree," "Proxima Centauri," and "Solar Wind") clock in over eight minutes in length, which is great for a prog-head like myself. I love it when a band can stretch out and write lengthy compositions. (Any band that can write long songs that still hold my attention gets two thumbs up in my book.) My favorite tracks tend to be the really atmospheric ones, like track eight ("The Invention of God"), the aforementioned "2016CD.NET," and "Solar Wind" (track nine). "Solar Wind" begins in an almost Pink Floyd-like way (shades of David Gilmore!) that slowly builds to a catchy-riff climax. A gentle piano song ("Sea of Tranquility") closes the album, leaving me wanting more. Nightmare Records can always be counted on to release what I consider to be superior metal albums. Owner Lance King (a famous metal vocalist in his own right) does it right, from the packaging to the pristine quality of the production, to the talent and "magic" of the bands themselves. If the next Heart of Sun album builds on the quality of their first release, they're liable to gain a much wider, and more passionate, following. Highly Recommended!

The compositions and instrumentation are pleasing but I find the vocalist's pronunciation of english is a bit distracting but he sings very well.

Great vocals, guitar, and keyboards...this CD has it all! About half the songs are fairly long. My favorite tracks are "The Last Experiment," "Into the Black Hole," and "Solar Wind." Recommended to fans of progressive metal!

The music as a whole is done with perfection and it draws you right in, you will want to listen to this often!!! ~Res Amissa is a fabulous instrumental beginnings to set the stage for the rest of the CD. ~The Last Experiment is one of my first favorites right away... it has an awesome beat to it that draws you right into the music. I love the vocals! Such a great voice and the vocals are a varied from whispers to anger all done flawlessly!! The first thought was OMG this is so awesome what is the rest going to be like!? Well happy to say the rest of it is just as awesome!! ~Not Through Our Eyes is toned down a little at first and builds up towards the end. I love the way this rocks and how they threaded acoustics throughout. ~The Evil Tree The thing I like the best from this song, is the lyrics and the music compliments them perfectly. ~2016AS.NET is another instrumental filled with drums and piano mixed with a little synthesizer and guitar. ~Into The Black Hole is the song that I heard that attracted me to the CD. It's simply another song that draws you into it and totally rocks!!! It is another favorite of mine that gets played a lot!!! ~Proxima Centuary is a bit over 8 minutes but does not disappoint at all!! ~The Invention Of God, to me the music feels like a walk through vastness and time and ends quietly. ~Solar Wind is the 3rd favorite on the CD. Starts out very interesting buildup of cymbals and guitar, you almost expect to hear the howling wind. I love the lyrics in this song too. ~Sea Of Tranquillity is relaxing. Definitely Tranquil, perfect ending to the CD with its beautiful piano.