One in a Million

This label is really becoming a haven for amazing prog metal bands. (Symphony X, Pain of Salvation, OSI, Evergrey, The Devin Townsend Band...the list goes on.) Poverty's No Crime are a recent find of mine, and this is the only album of theirs I've heard so far, and right now I'm damn impressed. They kind of remind me of a heavier Rush, but less technical (and that's not always a bad thing, mind you). The keyboards have a strong 70's psychedelic vibe to them, but aren't really overpowering, they just add to the general atmosphere of things. The songwriting is very well-structured, as all the tracks, whether they be short or epic in length, have a great sense of buildup and climax, pretty intense stuff accentuated by the great but not sterile production. All the musicianship is great, I especially think the guitarist plays very tastefully, as sometimes he'll stick to a really melodic chord, or whip out a savage riff that grooves your head into the wall metal-style, and his solos are competent but not flashy (and while I'm a fan of technical stuff too, there's always a place for simply well-written music, regardless of musicianship). The singer's voice is vaguely flat, but he sounds fine, and on mellower sections he'll break sometimes into really melodic choruses which are just so damn catchy, not poppy but just really classy. Also, the bonus track is a cover of Rush's Distant Early Warning, which sounds great in my opinion (though I'm a big Rush fan, so that helps a bit, heh). If you're looking for some quality prog metal, I suggest you check out this album. It took awhile for me to get into it, but it was definitely worth it.