' sprawling boasts heroic doses of , atmospheres, and -like ambition, the fusion of which the band has dubbed "total music." Their devotion to these styles is indeed total: while song titles like flirt with irony, have a more-than-healthy appreciation for -- and ability to re-create -- the technical proficiency and flamboyance of their influences. kicks off with two of its most metallic blasts: and both of which are bombastic, heads-down with intricate drumming and tempo shifts and shrieking, shredding guitars aplenty. By the are delving into bittersweet, old-school music. They alternate between blazing riffs and icy, -inspired reveries for the rest of -- which, in a nod to their proggy side, is divided into four "programmes" and also includes Tracks such as the fractured, furious of the brooding video game soundtrack and the moody piano piece show that do the fierce and reflective sides of their music equally well. This duality in their sound, and the late '70s/early '80s retro feel that informs the sheen of (fittingly enough, for an homage to the peroxided singer of ) and the lava lamp-like synths and distant, heroic guitars on also shows that the band's eventual collaboration with wasn't just inspired, but inevitable. Though consists of lots of short pieces, it does have a handful of tracks where the band stretches out as they did on their later albums; in particular, which segues from a jazzy intro into chugging theatrics, and finds them flexing their muscles. Like many albums of epic proportions, sometimes feels scattered, but it's also bold, ambitious, and surprisingly nuanced. delivered more focused versions of their total music in their later work, but here, it's dazzling in its diversity. ~ Heather Phares