Album Review: Redemption - Long Night's Journey Into Day

If you ask me who the best progressive metal band is, I will always tell you it's Redemption. From "The Fullness Of Time" through "The Art Of Loss", they have made a string of classy records that are everything progressive metal both should and shouldn't be. Their song-oriented, deeply emotional music is the perfect antidote to the self-high-fiving that is most of the genre. We can debate which of their records is the best (I personally side with "The Origins Of Ruin"), but it's hard to deny Redemption is among the very best at what they do. That's why it comes as such a shock to the system to hear this new record, where the heart of the band's sound has been replaced, as Ray Alder has moved on, and Evergrey's Tom Englund has taken over behind the mic. It's the biggest chance in the band's history, and one that can ripple through the music. But does it?

The album sets the tone early, with "Eyes You Dare Not Meet In Dreams" kicking things off on an aggressive note. The guitars have that blend of prog and thrash that has been a staple of Redemption's sound, and when Tom enters, his voice does fit in seamlessly. Redemption's music has always played with the darker colors of the rainbow, so the change in vocalists is from one master of the craft to another. In terms of style, there might not have been anyone better to take up the mantle.

What may or may not play quite as well are the choices Tom makes with his voice. For much of the record, he pulls back on his power, using a softer tone to push the melodies. When you get to what should be a major moment, like the chorus in "Someone Else's Problem", I can hear in the back of my head how Ray would have belted it out, so there's a dissonance between what I'm expecting and what Tom delivers. Neither approach is wrong, but it does feel like he's holding back.

There can't be any complaining about "The Echo Chamber", which adds to Redemption's list of massively ass-kicking prog metal. Unlike what I would say is the majority of prog metal bands, they are able to blend heaviness, progressive playing, and soaring melodies into songs that are both challenging and memorable. The first four tracks from this album fit right into that mold, and are a seamless transition from one chapter of the band's history to this new one.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That's what the saying tell us, and it holds true a bit here, as "The Last Of Me" is so traditionally Redemption that the main melody sounds curiously like the one from "The Suffocating Silence" several album cycles ago. It inevitably happens to everyone who writes enough songs, but it still sounds strange the first time it's encountered.

"Long Night's Journey Into Day" is an album in two acts. The first act is Redemption in their finest form, delivering everything we could want from them. The second act is a bit different, with a bit less melody leading into the ten minute closing title track. It's not much of a lull, but it's enough to shift the comparison a bit. What this album winds up reminding me of is "Snowfall On Judgment Day", which is the band's heaviest album, and the one I return to the least. I'm in the minority of fans with that, I'm led to believe, so Redemption fans will likely be ecstatic to hear this approach.

A Redemption album is always going to be good, and there's no question this one is. If you like progressive metal, Redemption is still doing is every bit as well as anyone else. I can say I prefer "The Origins Of Ruin" and "The Art Of Loss" to this one, but the differences are slight. Even with new blood, Redemption delivers a record I can't see disappointing anyone who enjoys this kind of music. Whatever trepidation I may have had about the change in voice is in the past, and Redemption is still at the top of progressive metal's hierarchy.