Spheric Universe Experience - Unreal

July 16, 2009

Reviewer: Peter

Ever since the release of Anima a couple of years ago, France’s Spheric Universe Experience is a band that is starting to get some recognition within the progressive metal scene.  Their Dream Theater-like musical proficiency combined with some rather cryptic lyrical content make for a fascinating listen.  Their latest release Unreal is another album that should gain the band some new fans, as well as keep their current fan base happy.

As with their previous release Anima, Unreal continues with the futuristic effects and effectively combines them with the musical proficiency that is demanded of any band that dares to try their hand at progressive metal.  The fact that the band pulls this off well is a sign that they know that originality, while it may be great in theory, it also has to be done in practice, and they are able to do that.  The vocals of Franck Garcia are solid and while there are going to be inevitable comparisons to James LaBrie, Garcia can more than hold his own.  The music itself actually shoots for technical precision more than musical flash, making Unreal a more balanced album.  There aren’t any real weak spots in the lineup, as each element seems to work better with the sum of the whole being greater than its parts.  The guitar solos are fluid, and the rhythm section does a great job of holding things together while adding its own sense of melody to the mix.  Absent are the spoken word parts that were on Anima, which is addition by subtraction.  However, the piano parts are still there, and while those have improved, they still have a mechanical sound to it, as it doesn’t flow as well as the rest of the music.  There are instrumentals in “Near Death Experience” and “O.B.E.,” both of which give the band a chance to showcase what they can do when there are no restrictions.  As for other highlights, “White Willow” and “Dragged” are good songs to try, although every song is worth listening to at least once.

Spheric Universe Experience has only marginally improved from Anima to Unreal.  That is not an indictment on the band because Anima was actually one of the best progressive metal albums in the last three years.  That said, Unreal had a tough act to follow, and it passed with flying colors.  At the rate they are going, it probably won’t be long before Spheric Universe Experience is mentioned in the same breath as Dream Theater and Fates Warning.

Release Date: May 19th, 2008
Label: Sensory Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  White Willow
2.  Down Memory Lane
3.  Lakeside Park
4.  3rd Type
5.  Near Death Experience
6.  Lost Ghost
7.  Dragged
8.  O.B.E.
9.  Tomorrow

Total playing time:  49:42

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