I have been familiar with some of the material on Dark Angel, as some of the tracks have been part of the live set for the last 6 months or so, namely the title track, Breaking the 4th Wall and Sharp Sea.

It’s obvious the band were looking to refine their sound, to go in a heavier, somewhat more intense direction, though still retaining some of the more melodic elements of the debut album.

The title track has been given a real shot in the arm on the new album, re-recorded with new guitarist Owain Roberts, whose heavier, more metal-ish sound has added a real heavy edge to the band’s sound. I always felt that this one had a bit of a Dream Theater feel about it, which is no bad thing at all. Love that ‘pull me under’ vocal refrain near the end.

Sharp Sea is another great rocker, but with a wonderfully melodic chorus and dynamic guitar work from both Owain and Dylan. It’s already become a staple of the live set.

How Far to Fall is in a somewhat softer vein, featuring Gareth on lead vocals. It has a great ‘folky’ feel to it, almost like one of those old sea-shanty’s. I find that the songs Gareth is more involved in tend to be more melodic and slightly poppier, but that just adds to the versatility of the band and provides a nice contrast to the heavier numbers

Call Me God is a real fast paced slice of rock, with a slightly punkish feel to it and has a real powerful vocal from Dylan. And though it’s a very varied, intricate song it flows beautifully.

In The Future is another laid back song that was written and arranged by Dylan. Something of a showcase for Dylan’s talents this one, a haunting lament for the future... perhaps the future not living up to our expectations? Only Dylan knows, I guess...

Absolute Zero, being another Gareth composition, has a more contemporary and almost funky vibe. Great chorus too, and I love that ‘Falling into infinity’ refrain. Great stuff.

Breaking the 4th Wall is possibly my favourite track, a mightily appealing ballad and a real showcase for Rachel and Gareth’s vocals. One of those songs that just hooks you in straight away and feels like you have been listening to it for years – it already feels like a classic. Such is the enduring appeal of this song that when it was played at the recent launch party gig with just Rachel, Gareth and Dylan on acoustic, my friend Dave stood there with his eyes closed for the whole song, and opened them at the end and said “Wow... what the ****!”

But what I was not prepared for was what came next... the absolute monster that is A Musing Dream. It starts with slightly sinister atonal piano sounds and the sounds of children playing... and then hits you right in the gut with a real crunchy guitar sound worthy of any of the best of the major metal bands out there. It is reminiscent of something Pain of Salvation might do, and that’s very good company to be in...

But then it takes a left turn half way through, slows down and turns into something quite beautiful. This section is probably the proggiest bit on the album – delicate acoustic guitar, some superb three-way vocal interplay between Dylan, Rachel and Gareth, and layers of keyboards intertwined with soaring guitars. Owen pulls off a really great little solo here, a real clean, inspired piece of guitar work. A sublime piece of music.

Dylan's vocals on the album really stand out more this time round, he sounds like he put a lot of energy into it. I don't know if it's because the songs themselves are generally heavier and more edgy than on Awakening, but he really stands out on this one.

Gareth’s keyboards also seem to have been augmented and expanded, providing lots more interesting textures and layers, though not to the extent that the songs are swamped with unnecessary synth washes.

And I can really pick out Matt’s bass lines as on this album as well, he is much more prominent than before - that combination of Matt’s accentuated bass lines and Owen’s powerful guitar adds a real hard edge to the band’s sound.

The production on the album is excellent, courtesy of bass player Matt, but kudos to John Mitchell’s mixing job too - obviously he was able to capture the sound the band wanted and bring out the best in them. Going back to the first album, I personally felt that the band should really beef up those guitars and bass, go for that heavier sound - and what I hear now on this album is the sound I feel the band were heading towards from those early demo's.

9/10

1. Dark Angel (6:56)
2. Sharp Sea (7:33)
3. How Far To Fall (4:22)
4. Serenity (1:42)
5. Call Me God? (6:09)
6. In The Future (5:06)
7. Absolute Zero (4:44)
8. Breaking The 4th Wall (5:50)
9. A Musing Dream (9:13)

Total Time: 51:33