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BEN CRAVEN “Monsters From The Id” (CD+DVD)
Related: Danny Elfmon; Devin Townsend; Hans Zimmer
On his third studio album, Australian Ben Craven packs a big punch, because “Monsters From The ld” consists of two colorful 19-minute progressive epics rounded off by four single edits. Craven creates an exciting mixture of prog, prog metal and film music, with bombastic sounds a la Holly-wood not missing. Despite all the opulence, there are also enough moments of relaxation, and the varied arrangements ensure that it doesn’t get boring. Although Craven is a good singer, the pure instrumental passages are in the foreground this time. The fantastic guitar solos, which are on a Hackett/Petrucci/Stolt level, deserve special mention. Both main tracks impress with their drama and finesse. However, the opener “Die Before You Wake” has the edge in a direct comparison because the individual parts are put together even more coherently here. Craven also pulls off a killer refrain on this song and the last guitar solo takes him into the stratosphere The bonus DVD contains the two long tracks in 5.1 surround sound and high-resolution stereo, as well as videos for the four single edits. Exemplary! Top track: Die Before You Wake
MaB