THEOCRACY

With a sound that makes DRAGONFORCE seem a bit gloomy, THEOCRACY have always put the necessary effort into spreading their power metal gospel. The Atlanta, Georgia quintet are extremely highly rated among the genre's diehard fraternity, and the recent addition of lead guitarist Taylor Washington (PALADIN) to their ranks has only added to the excitement surrounding their fifth and most ambitious record to date.

In truth, it's hard to not be excited when songs like ebullient opener "Flicker" are blasting away. THEOCRACY never lack grit. Their riffs are heavy and there are plenty of dark, progressive moments on "Mosaic", but the overall effect is of an unstoppable tsunami of bright-eyed positivity: heavy on big, rousing melodies and as lavish, multi-layered and grandiose as BLIND GUARDIAN.

Fortunately, for those of us who bat for the other guy, the self-evident Christian / Biblical overtones are perfectly in keeping with the music itself. This is a classic "good versus evil" and "light versus darkness" situation, with a soundtrack that rips along at a breathless pace, becoming more and more epic as it progresses.

"Sinsidious (The Dogs Of War)" is a grim and thrash-fueled stop-off along the way, with chewable Big Four vibes and a healthy melo-death sheen that continues into the ominous crunch of "Return To Dust" and the cinematic, THRESHOLD-esque "The Sixth Great Extinction". "Deified" is a full-throttle speed metal shock-to-the-system; "The Greatest Hope" is a dewy-eyed power ballad with a brilliantly skilled vocal from frontman Matt Smith, and enchanting, decorative strings. "Liar, Fool, Or Messiah" is another flat-out sprint with some viciously precise riffing from guitarist Jonathan Hinds and another iridescent pomp rock chorus.

At this point, we pause to take a breath, because the last track on "Mosaic" is easily the most ambitious thing the Atlantans have ever attempted. "Red Sea" is nearly 20 minutes long and has no trouble justifying every last indulgent second. It flows from a bombastic, mid-paced beginning to a thrilling barrage of rapacious thrash and on, through a labyrinth of theatrical set-pieces, classic metal mood-setting and giant, life-affirming refrains. It is a simply sublime piece of (progressive) heavy metal storytelling and THEOCRACY's finest 20 minutes to date. The rest of "Mosaic" never quite hits the same heights, but there is no mistaking the sound of a band living their best musical life.