Beyond Daylight (Limited Edition)

by Gary HillBeyond Daylight is Vanden Plas' fourth full-length studio album. By this point in their career they seemed to have found their place in the musical landscape. Their chosen niche is performing modern progressive rock with a heavy, rather metallic edge. They really do a fine job of that style, crafting original songs that are quite powerful and dynamic. The only problem is that, rather than find their own identity in that style, they seem to have borrowed the sound of Dream Theater. It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that is true, Dream Theater should be greatly flattered by Vanden Plas, because a large chunk of this album really could have been recorded by those New York based proggers, rather than this group. That does not, however, mean that the songs are unoriginal, because they are not. It is just the band's sound that is derivative. Of course, one of the key similarities is in the vocals of the group, and they most likely only have so much control over that factor. While not all of the album has that Dream Theater texture, the majority certainly does. The mini-epic final track of the album is especially strong and has some unique moments. Of course, for Dream Theater fans, what could be wrong with having two great groups producing original music in the same vein?