Creation's End

Creation's End are a prog metal super-group of guys whom while always infinitely more talented than the greasy dude at the microphone, seem to always be left out of the spotlight. Perhaps that's why A New Beginning is an almost flawless debut from seasoned musicians who have spent years backing, among others, Dream Theater's James LaBrie and Yngwie Malsteen. While vocalist Mike Dimeo, whose voice is powerful here than in old band Masterplan, is fantastic, and it's evident that the music was carefully planned to let every player have their time in the sun (check out the excellent guitar solo on "Still Life"), it's too much. The tracks, which tend to meander, are too long, which isn't necessarily bad, but because the band lack the ability to self-edit, it borders on self-wankery.