Vanden Plas - God Thing (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

Best of 97

Andy Williamson | Chicago, IL | 02/06/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What an eye opener! I've been a huge Dream Theater fan since 92, but this album (released the same year as DT's weaker release "Falling Into Infinity") caught me as my interest in them was beginning to wane. Germans Vanden Plas are SUPERBLY tight on this melodic/power/progressive rock masterpiece. "Garden of Stones" and "You Fly" showcase tremendously thick guitar tones. Listen to the amazing build up in the former and the the tremendous guitar harmonies in the latter. Oh my! I was in heaven. A similar intensity builds in "Crown Of Thorns" while the guitar line of "Salt In My Wounds" is just pulverizing. Kudos also to the magnificent bass player; check out the opening track of the disc. Wow! Very interesting, probing lyrics and nice artwork. But again, the proof in this pudding is in the *hearing*. Easily one of the best power/prog-metal releases EVER. An essential recording."

PROGRESSIVE METAL AT ITS FINEST..!!! IT WILL BLOW YOU AWAY.

ric33c | Manchester, NH United States | 04/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have all there CD's, and "The God Thing" Has to be Vanden Plas best CD to date. With "Beyond Daylight" a close second. You get everything with this CD. Thick guitar sound, great riffs, piano, great vocals, lots of changes, and great bass lines... I wouldn't change anything about this CD. If you like Dream Theater.. You will love Vanden Plas. I think "The God Thing" is the best choice for first time listeners. The more you listen to this CD.. The more you like it. "The God Thing" will be a great addition to your music collection. Believe me.. This CD will not leave your CD player."

Total, Flawless, Energetic, Rock, Metal, Tight, Fantastic

D. Crain | NJ United States | 07/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These guys are just fantastic. They keep exploring new depths. THis is an older album that they have, but it is still fresh, and never dull. Everytime I want to get into a new state of mind, I put these guys on. This album just digs in and never lets up. There is no bombast, playing for technical sake, great vocals, clear crisp themes, and excellent playing.In You I Believe is exemplary of the whole collection, fast, pumping, crisp, with great teamwork amongst all the players. No personal showmanshipLong live Vanden Plan"

Special Edition

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 03/29/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After the enjoyable acoustic excursion that was the Accult album, Vanden Plas returned in 1997 with The God Thing, the first "real" follow-up to their 1994 debut Colour Temple. The "Dream Theater meets Dokken" melodic progressive metal style the band displayed on that album is back in force on The God Thing.

The God Thing was my first Vanden Plas album. I paid an exorbitantly high price for a used copy when I was in my "anything that sounds like Dream Theater" phase. Unlike a lot of the bands I tried (and later abandoned) during that time, Vanden Plas remains a favorite today. It's evident on The God Thing that Vanden Plas isn't just another prog metal band. For one thing, these guys wrote actual songs, not just solos, and while the songs average about 7 minutes each, they never feel like exercises in self-indulgent instrumental wankery. This may be a result of vocalist Andy Kuntz's heavy involvement in the songwriting process.

Beyond the band's impressive technical skills and Kuntz's distinct vocals, there is an abundance of great melodies. The songs pull you in and really stick in your head. I tend to skip past the obligatory instrumental introductory track, but after a few seconds of Fire Blossom I was hooked, and it just carried me into Rainmaker. The whole album is strong, but its shining moment is the stirring, emotional Crown of Thorns, which to this day remains my absolute favorite Vanden Plas song.

The God Thing is a fantastic progressive metal album, and one of the best Vanden Plas releases overall. If you're into this kind of music, I can't imagine this album failing to please.

NOTE: The 2004 Special Edition of The God Thing comes housed in a slipcase and features two bonus tracks. The first is a French language acoustic version of How Many Tears called Combien de Larmes, and the second is a live version of You Fly. They're interesting enough additions, but probably aren't enough to make you replace your existing copy (I did, but I'm something of a dork when it comes to owning the version with the most extras). If you don't already own it, this is the version to buy.

"

Great album.

Jennifer Raney | portland, oregon United States | 07/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is really good. You can tell this is where they started to develop their current sound. They clearly just keep getting better. Buy it!!"

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