Review of Behind

I ordered Behind from Knights of the Round and it promptly arrived at my door about 2 weeks later. I took a few weeks to saturate myself with the sounds before writing this review.

I liked it upon first impression. When it arrived in the mail, I had ten minutes before I had to leave for work. I dropped in on the CD tray and, as the sounds began pouring out of the speakers, I just grinned foolishly. Yes!

This is apt to be a different sort of review than maybe you're expecting. I'm a lyrics person. I either like the musical arrangements, or I don't...and I usually can't say why in either case. Music, mostly, is accompaniment to the human voice to me. It can compliment the mood of the lyrics or it can clash. It can accentuate with the vocals or it can interfere.

General impressions:

The music "accompaniment" is perfect. It never clashes, never drowns out the vocals. The intros are especially pleasing...even a musically dead person such as myself could enjoy them.

A good mix, ranging from quiet and introspective to crashing rock...and I didn't bat an eye. Smooth transitions...none of that ear-piercing screeching guitar that makes my dogs whine.

Vocals: a strong voice....what a pleasure. My roommate is so sick of phony high voices that she's just about forbidden me to play my music around her, but Superior is well, superior.

Individual cuts:

1. The Truth Ain't Kind. Aged-old question...what IS it all for, anyway. :) Yes. I have those same questions...This is the first cut I heard in my initial ten minutes...grinned, as I said. This song rocks! I hear "Don't use your brain" when I'm struggling with a recalcitrant doctor at work and chuckle. I'm a nurse working with sick babies... "are we all too young to die?" has a more personal meaning to me, unfortunately. This is my test for good lyrics: When I can find personal meanings...meanings not even imagined by the composer, and incorporate into my life.

2. Why. One my favorite, but more for the driving rhythms. The lyrics are too dark and despairing. "Call me now!" echoes in my head occasionally, though. However, I do agree with most of the other reviewers: this song is indeed a prog metal classic.

3. Dial 9-11. Not so ironic irony. Reality TV indeed! The phrase should be a misnomer. Reality and TV have never had more than a nodding acquaintance in the past. We used to despair that television didn't represent real people. Well, be careful what you ask for! I treasure this song because it makes me smile. "Don't you dare to die alone." Hilarious...if a little sick. "Make the fear superior." Gratuitous use of the band name...I love it! Intentional or not.

4. Tomorrow's Eve. Pretty intro. I pondered the lyrics for a long time before I could get a grasp on them. I see evangelists in them, whether Mike Muller meant that or not doesn't really matter. I could apply the truths into my own mind-set; yes, it past my test for lyrics. The slower pace plays well in the lineup on the CD, but not really one of my favorites. Doesn't have the driving power of "The Truth Ain't Kind" or the magic of "Dreamtime." Maybe it's just because television evangelists annoy me. "Where are you now...where time chokes on madness." I like that imagery.

5. Hades. So gothic. Gives me shivers. "There's just another heart to break. Another tear to cry...when the ticking of the clock has passed you by." Death and despair. Not my usual lyrical fare, but nicely done.

6. Escape from reality. I love this one, mostly for the "Paralyzed brains and anemic eyes" and the wonderfully interesting pronunciation of anemic. Don't get me wrong...it wouldn't be nearly as good without the accent. And, as I live this song every hour I spend on the Internet, this one I clutch close to my heart. "But you won't see the difference any longer." I choose to ignore the possibility that someone was thinking of net porn when he wrote this song. And yet another gratuitous use of the band name slipped in there. Great!

7. Dreamtime. Ah...my favorite, the walrus song. "Let your walrus fall away!" And no, it really only sounds like "walrus" when one is not paying close attention, but again, I love it. The voice is so strong...adds wonderful texture to the lyrics. I listen to this song when I'm a little down or worried and it soothes like warm water on sore muscles. A tonic for the mind. The music blends so well with the poetic lilt of the words, I feel afloat. But then, I've always been a dreamer.

8. Tainted Silence. I confess here. This is my least favorite. I don't like the lyrics. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them; I just don't agree with the negativism. The opening is great. I really enjoy the change in pattern beginning with "...then when cries steal their dreams..." And "...close your eyes and dream with me" is nice. But overall, no. Too depressing, too negative. Yet the music takes me away; so energizing.

9. Total void. "We're under thoughts-control..." Another phrase that echoes in my head after the music has died away. The vocals during "...inside me shadows are veiling my mind"...oh, what can I say. I love it. The total arrangement blows me away. The words almost get lost because the music is so powerful. I have to read the lyric sheet to concentrate on the words. Not a criticism, actually, as it draws me deeper into the song.

10. Until the End. Another favorite. This cut proves that Superior can handle a slower ballad as well as riveting rockers. Damn, though, can't anyone in the group write a happy song? Who said introspection must always be a sad process?

Conclusion

Overall, a great mix of sounds. Subdued introspection to crashing rock. Well worth the effort of locating a copy. Can't wait to hear the new music. It is not with flattery that I say this CD is one of my favorite acquisitions. I need to play it on the big stereo, though. I listen to it so much while at the computer, that it rarely gets a chance to spin on the big stereo! Wonder what the higher wattage would do to my brain cells then? Ah well, good thing I have surround sound speakers on the PC.