Far Off Grace

by

Vanden Plas

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1999's Far Off Grace is album #4 from German melodic progressive metal band Vanden Plas. The band, whose sound is perhaps best described as Dream Theater meets Dokken, didn't offer up any real surprises on this album. The songs on Far Off Grace could just as easily have fit on Colour Temple or The God Thing. Despite their progressive sound, the band really doesn't progress very much from one album to the next.

That aside, Far Off Grace is still a very impressive album. Vanden Plas has totally mastered the marriage of technical metal, lush melodies, and stirring, emotional vocals. I've read some reviews bashing him, but as far as I'm concerned Andy Kuntz's vocals are a huge part of what makes Vanden Plas's sound work so well. His songwriting skills are also first rate. Into the Sun and Fields of Hope are among the album's better tracks, and I don't think I've heard anything as equally lovely and malevolent as the ballad I Don't Miss You.

If you can overlook the "more of the same" aspect, Far Off Grace is a great progressive metal album. It may not break any new ground, but Vanden Plas is one of the best at this kind of music, and they never fail to deliver.

NOTE: The 2004 Special Edition of Far Off Grace comes housed in a slipcase and features two bonus tracks. The first is a cover of the Dokken hit Kiss of Death, which the band totally nails. It was included on the earlier CD release though, so I don't see how it counts as a "bonus track" here. There's also a cover of Sting's Shape of My Heart. I loathe Sting, but I have to admit this song sounds great in Vanden Plas's hands. There's also a live video of the song Iodic Rain.

If you don't already own Far Off Grace, this is the version to buy. If you do, you'll have to decide whether it's worth it to buy the album twice for essentially one new song. I did, but I'm something of a dork when it comes to owning the version with the most extras.

German metal masters Vanden Plas had me from the opening notes of their previous release THE GOD THING, easily one of the best progressive-metal albums ever recorded (see my review). So I approached FAR OFF GRACE with anxious anticipation. I initially enjoyed the album more than I do now. Over time most of the tunes do not wear very well and that is due more to the recording itself than the song structures. Admittedly, some of the tunes are weak (I Don't Miss You, Fields of Hope), and some have complained about the singer (I'm guessing they have not heard his excellent performance on THE GOD THING). That aside, my problem is more with the mix than anything else; the drums have nowhere near the power and punch of the previous album (which had arguably the BEST drum sound of ANY album I've ever heard-and that's a lot). They sound too weak, too 'tinny'. The sound is also relatively confined; the drums to not take up the full aural spectrum, they do not envelop you as they did on TGT. The guitars sound ok, but *some* of the crunch has been removed from the mid and lower ranges resulting in a less-than-exciting sound. The bass is also not as thick as I would have expected. Everything-even the vocals-seem stripped of the power they had in the past. With THE GOD THING Vanden Plas proved that they were a big-time contender in the power/prog arena, and it's a shame to hear them partially robbed of their most enduring quality: a BIG FAT sound.

This is NOT to say that the album doesn't have its' moments. Take the chorus and quiet middle section of the title track for example. Wow! It's awesome to hear. Likewise, the slow drudge of "Where Is The Man" accentuated by the drummers kick drums is really nice. "Iodic Rain" is the albums best track, beginning with a full blow-out fretfest for the first ten or fifteen seconds a la Dream Theater or Liquid Tension Experiment. It is a truly great song with a gut-punch chorus. It's one of those one's that's hard to get out of your head. Which brings me to the other stand out of the album, "Inside of Your Mind", a tune that really brings to mind (ha, ha) shades of OPERATION MINDCRIME by Queensryche-in both lyrics and style.

My suggestion would be to listen to this before buying it -if possible- or make your own VP mix disc with their best stuff. A good hard rock album, but not the place to start.