It’s strange how things happen. As you probably know, here at Ave Noctum we all do an album of the year list, and to remind myself of formatting I was just refreshing my memory looking at the one I did last year, when I noticed Vanden Plas’ “Chronicles of the Immortals – Netherworld Path I” was in there. About time they released a second path/part I thought, and then, as if by magic it arrived! Ironically though, thinking I had heard all this year had to offer (and on the face of it being a total suck-up and try-hard) I’d already submitted my album of the year list, so therefore “Chronicles of the Immortals – Netherworld II” hasn’t actually made it on to my list this year…though it certainly would have done!
Being the second part of their “Chronicles of the Immortals” concept, you would hope there is going to be some continuity and similarity to the first part…or it wouldn’t work would it? So given that, please forgive me if I repeat some of the points I mentioned in my review of part one (sounds like a total cop-out, I know…). As I’ve covered before (yep, I’m at it already!) Vanden Plas are quite unique in their approach to Progressive Metal, giving it a symphonic/keyboard edge with a slightly more laid-back vocal style, which sits them in a suitably wide void that stretches anywhere from We also start this second part with track 11, which is a nice touch, meaning that continuity is emphasised further.
Lyrically we left the story on a bit of a cliff-hanger in author Wolfgang Hohlbein’s engrossing story (I won’t spoil it for you but the introduction of juggling hyenas backed by tap-dancing rhinos was a twist I didn’t see coming…only joking…), so it was essential that the whole thing didn’t feel like it was just starting all over again, which it doesn’t. Musically, there is no elaborate intro, ‘In My Universe’ could indeed just be the next track on the album, but what it does have is an immediately attention-grabbing opening section reminiscent of prime Savatage, before the band continue their familiar, ultra classy brand of Metal that they have been crafting for…it must be twenty years now!
But Vanden Plas sound as fresh and vibrant as ever, able to effortlessly juxtapose the heaviness of ‘Stone Roses’ (their song, NOT the band!) with the mellower, heart-rending first part of ‘Blood Of Eden’ with it’s guest, lilting female vocal and semi-acoustic approach. Of course, this is Vanden Plas, so this 13 minute opus of a song unfolds itself gradually with power and dexterity, jumping in and out of intensity, and steadily grows into the epic that it is, with every band member pulling out all the stops as usual. This album flows perfectly, just like it’s predecessor, and this is no cash-in by a band with too many songs and not enough quality (yes, we all still remember “Use Your Illusion I and II”…), here, every track is essential, integral and just as good as the previous/next one.
And thankfully, the flow and concept of the album surely excuses me from picking out favourites or tracks worthy of note (though at present I find the blending of total heaviness, quirky keyboards, choirs, stop/start vocals and soaring chorus of ‘The Last Fight’ utterly and positively beguiling!) – it’s just not that kind of album (…and of course the closing track is massively emotive and quite stunning…though of course I’m not picking out individual tracks out at all…!). It’s all just so utterly Vanden Plas – it couldn’t be anyone else. There is immediacy and there is depth. There is balance and yet there are unexpected injections of pace or sparsity that can take you unawares.
Quite amazingly I don’t think I have particularly repeated myself with this review after all, I’ve just found different words to express how great I found part two, whilst echoing my equally gushing thoughts on part one. This is pretty much what Vanden Plas have done, but musically and of course on a grander, all-encompassing scale. It’s quite a journey both lyrically and musically, executed by a band that are probably one of only a handful in the world that can do it justice. Top class.
(8.5/10 Andy Barker)
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