80%
Spheric Universe Experience—Anima (2007)
Details
Recorded and mixed by Charles Massabo. Mastered by Tommy Hansen at Jailhouse Studios, Denmark. Drums and bass recorded at Coxinhell Studio, St-Aygulf, France (June to July 2006). Guitars, keyboards and vocals recorded at Kallaghan Studio, Vence, France (July to August 2006). Produced by Spheric Universe Experience.
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Band
- Franck Garcia—Vocals
- Vince Benaim—Guitars
- John Drai—Bass
- Fred Colombo—Keyboards and English voice on “Being” (track 2) and “The inner quest” (track 3)
- Ranko Muller—Drums
Additional musicians
- Ludovic Phiriet-Arcaleni—Italian voice on “Neptune’s revenge” (track 4)
- Carmen López—Spanish voice on “World of madness” (track 6)
- Yo Ishikawa—Japanese male voice on “Heal my pain” (track 8)
- Aurélia Borg—Japanese female voice on “Heal my pain” (track 8)
Tracks
- Sceptic
- Being
- The inner quest
- Neptune’s revenge
- Stormy dome (instrumental)
- World of madness
- End of trauma
- Heal my pain
- Questions
- The key
- Black materia
Review
Anima is the second (of currently four) full-length album from French prog metallers Spheric Universe Experience (SUE).
Theirs is a very Dream Theater-influenced flavour of progressive metal, complete with soaring vocals, complex time signatures, retro keyboard flourishes, and John Petrucci-style guitar chops. Other than Franck Garcia’s vocals which are quite noticably not those of James LaBrie, on first listen you could easily be mistaken that you are listening to DT.
Curiously, this is one of the few French bands that I’ve heard who sing in English rather than French.
I’ve listened to this album a number of times now and I can’t really fault it: the songwriting is great, the songs are complex and beautifully performed, the production if first class. But… it just sounds so derivative. To my ear, there is little that makes Spheric Universe Experience stand out as much more than French Dream Theater Experience.
Conclusion
If you are a Dream Theater fan then there is a very good chance you will enjoy this album. I can’t help think that this could be something more. But as it is, it is still something rather good.
Review score: 80%