Pandora - Sempre e Ovunque Oltre il Sogno. 2011 Italy

If the debut implied that Pandora would rather be classified "heavy progressive" versus "progressive metal", then their sophomore effort Sempre e Ovunque Oltre il Sogno concludes the argument. While the metal tones haven't been completely eliminated, they have been diminished significantly, and their primary role is as an accent instrument to demonstrate power (and from my vantage point, that seems to be how metal works best in the progressive field anyway). Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, and Mellotron all guest star in this full featured Italian film. At this point, Pandora are paying homage to their forefathers from 40 years prior, with long tracks, constantly shifting meters and dynamics, and the random capriciousness expected of the genre. I did catch one direct rip from Genesis that I couldn't find credited, and I'm sure that was an oversight on their part.

Ownership: CD: 2011 BTF/AMS

6/28/14 (new entry)