My first contact with VANDEN PLAS marked the album The God Thing in 1997. At that time I did not know anything about this band and bought the digipack version of this album on a wing and prayer and I had no regrets. It’s the same with the latest release of these Progmetal freaks, a fan of this variety can’t do anything wrong with a purchase.
The anterior album Beyond Daylight dates back four years, but the band members were busy with some other engagements – the whole squad participated in a play at the theatre or singer Andy released a solo album called Abdyos. The experience concerning the work with an orchestra had obviously some effects on the current songs featuring Christ.0, the sound is really variable, numerous moods and speeds provide permanent diversion; the band presents both heavy songs like Somewhere Alone In The Dark and emotional ballads like Lost In Silence in inspiring format. The instrumentation is elating, whether the guys play technical in best Dream Theater tradition or they simply rock – everything sounds suspenseful and on no account supercharged. No matter if a track lasts for five or ten minutes, the arrangements stay stirring for all time and numerous details come to the surface after some listening sessions, I would recommend the use of headphones to feel Christ.0’s magic exceedingly.
Already the instrumental centerpiece of the introducing track and title song is ingenious and in the same key it moves along. The solo spots don’t come across to be ego trips of the perfect instrumentalists, but they are well integrated in the fine constructed songs. The quality is constantly high, nevertheless one composition sticks out, namely the epic track Silently which lasts for eight minutes – eight engrossing and interesting minutes filled with brilliant melody lines, grabbing chords, artful speed alternation (admitting calm passages); this opus holds all characteristics a composition needs to become one of the genre’s classics. The last minutes of this feast for the ears are formidable - everyone should have heard this one! Acoustic guitars have a duel with keyboards and piano, this is real art in composing and playing! I don’t want to belittle the other songs; Christ.0 appears as synthesis of the arts, concluded by a first-class interpretation of Gethsemane taken from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.
I can’t find any negative aspects concerning Christ.0; the songs are enthralling and technical playful, invite the listener to teeter with and are simply ageless. Well done, guys!