RING OF FIRE
Lapse of Reality
Frontiers Records 2004
www.ringoffiremusic.com

What’s the 4-1-1?
Third studio album from B-list prog-metal supergroup.

Genre
Progressive metal / neo-classical / hard rock

The Good
Any metal group that can incorporate a good piano solo into a song is aces in my book. And that's just what Ring of Fire does on the opening track “Lapse of Reality”. The guitar riffs are subtle but crunchy, and Boals’ vocals push the limits of his range. The hard-charging opening licks of “Change” are just as powerful as the tuneful vocals. “You Were There” is a piano heavy power ballad with a great melodic guitar solo.

It's only fitting that “Machine” starts off with mechanical sound effects. It then breaks into intense chugga-chugga riffing. “One Little Mystery” features a dueling guitar and keyboard breakdown, a technique that is synonymous with prog-metal. There are some great vocal melodies and soothing keyboard tones on “Faithfully”. Be sure to check out MacAlpine’s neo-classical fretwork. As an added bonus Ring of Fire includes the long version of “Lapse of Reality” to conclude the CD.

The Bad
Mark Boals vocal range seems to be much higher than the key the band is playing in. For such fast playing musicians, the songs tend to not have a lot of energy.

The Verdict
Although Lapse of Reality is a strong prog-metal album, Ring of Fire are not as hot as they could be.

Did You Know?
Mark Boals was a vocalist for Yngwie Malmsteen, but then again who wasn’t. Tony MacAlpine is closing in on the record for most bands played in, right behind Carmine Appice.

Rating: out of 5

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--George Dionne