Virtual Symmetry - Exoverse...

[Hearing Aid Man]

New CD out 6/30...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYzkrDPE6jM

[LarryD]

How in the hell did we miss this band ? Answer: I failed to click on the link that Hearing Aid provided. So I'm browsing The Lasers Edge site and I see their newest disc on the site, and I " think " I remember about this band ...... so I come back here and search it and ......yep, here they are. Among the crickets.

Here is another link in case you want more ...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfvxvZ2x2Yk

So Tom Englund is on this, Jordan Rudess is on this ......and more ....... check out the videos above and wonder why you didn't click it before, or maybe you were tired of the Circus Maximus, Darkwater, DT sounds ....... well I'm not, and I'm just sitting here smacking my head saying " all you had to do was click the original link dumb ass " ....... I did, I ordered the disc from The Lasers Edge, and I also ordered their previous disc called Message from Eternity. Band and singer are excellent !!!!!!

Moral of the story - click on the damn link when someone posts it ...... especially when you know the dude posting it has your taste....... duh.

Sorry Hearing Aid Man - my bad. Lasers Edge does have copies left - not many.

[Sir Exar Kun]

How in the hell did we miss this band ? Answer: I failed to click on the link that Hearing Aid provided. So I'm browsing The Lasers Edge site and I see their newest disc on the site, and I " think " I remember about this band ...... so I come back here and search it and ......yep, here they are. Among the crickets.

Here is another link in case you want more ...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfvxvZ2x2Yk

So Tom Englund is on this, Jordan Rudess is on this ......and more ....... check out the videos above and wonder why you didn't click it before, or maybe you were tired of the Circus Maximus, Darkwater, DT sounds ....... well I'm not, and I'm just sitting here smacking my head saying " all you had to do was click the original link dumb ass " ....... I did, I ordered the disc from The Lasers Edge, and I also ordered their previous disc called Message from Eternity. Band and singer are excellent !!!!!!

Moral of the story - click on the damn link when someone posts it ...... especially when you know the dude posting it has your taste....... duh.

Sorry Hearing Aid Man - my bad. Lasers Edge does have copies left - not many.

Funny..... I was just on Lasers and was checking this out (along with Pyramid Theorem) and just hopped over here to post about it.

Been too long since I "blind ordered" a couple of bands, but after checking out about 2 minutes of the 22 minute album sampler I was sold. Added in the previous Manticora album to boot as that one somehow slipped right past me, and a new one is just about out now.

[Random Axe]

Holy effin shit.

This is awesome. I've never heard of them till 30 minutes ago. I took care of that shit by ordering all three discs from Ken. This is exactly the kind of stuff I look for. .How they aren't more well known in the industry is a total mystery. This sound crazy good.

[LarryD]

Got my Virtual Symmetry discs in from The Lasers Edge ........ and I have to say that I'm blown away by this band. I've been playing both discs today, and if I had to give some thoughts in short, I would say this .......

Virtual Symmetry / Message from Eternity -

I close my eyes and I hear Pagans Mind meeting Dream Theater in an alley and clashing .....with an emphasis on Pagans Mind to the max. Try to imagine early Pagans Mind with an Italian singer with a slight accent. It's got a sci-fi feeling to the music like Pagans Mind does as well.

Virtual Symmetry / Exoverse -

Now reverse it. This is like Dream Theater meets Pagans Mind in an alley and clashing. The singer seems to have upped his game in the vocal dept, with his accent seeming to disappear into the darkness.....while the music is now clearly Dream Theater inspired, heavier and more proggy / thought provoking.


Both discs are excellent, with the definite nod going to Exoverse. All I can say that is if you are missing your classic prog metal fix - this is probably the one that is going to do it for you. Right out of the gate, this will go right into the Top 10 .... maybe along with Message from ETernity ..... both are over the top.

[Random Axe]

Larry, I just all three VS discs tonight. This really is a huge surprise, mostly because they've released two strong albums without a mention here till last week.

[LarryD]

Larry, I just all three VS discs tonight. This really is a huge surprise, mostly because they've released two strong albums without a mention here till last week.

***I'm really looking forward to your thoughts on these ....... I'm going back and forth between the two I have and I'm starting to re-think my feelings ....these are two different feels - one being pure prog metal, straight ahead with no obstacles .... the other is more orchestrated, harder to focus on, and there is so much happening to follow......

Exoverse is definitely going to take some time to digest while Message is the more direct hit to the brain and easier to follow ........so strange how a band can put two different beasts out like this .......even the singing approach is different between them ...... I'm going to need help with gathering my thoughts on these.

[LarryD]

After a few days with both discs - I'm switching my fav to Message from Eternity. Exoverse is excellent, but there is something about Message that hits me better........
There are a few reasons for this, but unless you have heard either, I can't explain the exact reasons for my switch of favor......

Exoverse -
Very very orchestrated -- and something I normally love - but here, it seems to take center stage over the rest of the disc.
The production is very good, but it's somewhat muddied. Not sure if it's the orchestration doing it, or the recording itself. The guitars are buried in the mix as a result.
This feels like one long song - instead of individual songs I can put my finger on and identify as awesome. The whole disc sounds exactly the same as the song before.
The singer - Italian, great mid-range tone ( somewhat like Fabio Lione tone quality )...... BUT, he screams a lot on this disc, and it is quite grating. He not only misses the note, but his voice starts to sound like he is gargling Listerine and it really detracts.

Message from Eternity -
Much better production .....cleaner, more clarity, can instruments better. The songs are more "songs" here .... can identify with each one separately now, especially the long 22:00 closer.
The singer does not scream like he does on Exoverse, he stays within that pleasant mid-range tone he has, although his accent is a bit more prominent here, but nothing detracting at all.
Lots of keyboards, almost keyboard driven overall .......
My Pagan's Mind / DT comparison is off as well ..... the opening song wreaks of Pagans Mind, but the rest turns into well oiled melodic metal with prog tinges.


Overall, both discs are extremely exciting and well done ...... but for me, Message from Eternity is better overall........

[LASERCD]

Odd thing...

We sold Message From Eternity when it was first released. In fact we sold a lot of them. I guess you guys were sleeping on it and passed...or you might want to check your collections. You might have a copy hiding there.

[LarryD]

Odd thing...

We sold Message From Eternity when it was first released. In fact we sold a lot of them. I guess you guys were sleeping on it and passed...or you might want to check your collections. You might have a copy hiding there.

**** Knowing me - that would be the case ..... that I had it and just didn't remember. But alas - I was right this time ..... this was the first I was hearing about the band.......somehow this thing slipped past us - 2 discs in fact, not just one. I guess it's bound to happen with all of the music shooting around us, but I'm glad we finally did end up discovering them.