Search - Ivanhoe :: Visions & Reality

Good debut for a "Clone" band...

Pearly White | Northwest USA | 06/24/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this album way back in '96 when the first of the Dream Theater "clone" bands were arriving on the scene. This is a good one too! The music is a little heavier and a bit hollower sounding than Dream Theater (lacking the massive production budget of course!), but it's still well written and musically delivered. The singer gets a little agonizing at times, with a thinker Euro-accent and some "boy in the bottom of the well" high notes, but it doesn't spoil Ivanhoe's debut as a package deal. This one is equal to the other releases from Ivanhoe too I think. But you should know that as the albums progress from here, they do get heavier. Starting only slightly with the sophomore effort "Symbols Of Time" and then quite a bit more on "Polarized". I see that they also have a fourth record now, "Walk In Minefields", which I have yet to hear, but look forward to checking out soon. Still happy in anticipation of what's next from these guys after their nice debut of nearly a decade ago! 3/5"