Making Progress
InsideOut Music is offering its latest sampler compilation Music In Progress, Vol. II as a free full-album download at Amazon.com. Despite only a name-recognition familiarity with many of the artists, it’s worth grabbing if only for the excellent cuts from the Devin Townsend Project, OSI, Dream Theater’s James LaBrie, and the mighty King’s X. Many of the other tracks here are uneven or uninspiring at best, even though the dullest of them has its bright moments, which is always a possibility in a genre where songs normally run well past the five-minute mark. The surprise gem for me among the artists not already listed is the track offered by Pain of Salvation — a trudging, sludge-rock groovefest which alternately reminds me of Queens of the Stone Age, Soundgarden, and Lenny Kravitz (believe it or not) until you hit the spacey middle section that serves as a reminder that this is a prog band.
If you enjoy the brand of progressive metal served up by InsideOut’s roster, Music In Progress, Vol. II might be worth picking up.
