Band:	Circle II Circle
Album:	Burden Of Truth
Style:	Progressive heavy metal, Progressive power metal
Release date:	October 2006

01. Who Am I To Be?
02. Matter Of Time
03. Heal You
04. Revelations
05. Your Reality
06. Evermore
07. The Black
08. Messiah
09. Sentenced
10. Burden Of Truth
11. Live As One

Following a lot of praise for their two preceding albums, frontman Zachary Stevens and his Circle II Circle returns with a different approach that should please both Savatage-enthusiasts as well as draw new fans. "Burden of Truth" is actually based on the same themes as the highly successful book "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown: the dark secret of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. If you're not into concept albums you need not worry because the message is hidden deep in the lyrics and there are no narrations or interludes, just some straight metal songs from start to finish.

As a long time fan I can hear a tremendous development from the previous albums. The music is a great balance of both electric- and acoustic guitar as well as keys. Everything gets just enough space, which is an improvement from previous albums. There are no fillers on this one and every song sounds different, which is a big plus. Guitarists Paul M. Stewart and Andrew Lee are both to be commended for their work as both the rhythm section as well as the soloing are great. The two opening songs are both great examples of their brilliance. Do I need to mention that Zach does a good job? This is his best performance since "The Wake of Magellan", my personal favourite Savatage album.

The songs are very diverse and every song has something different to offer. Obviously some are better than the others and on this album the opening and the closing three songs are the best, and some of the best CIIC-songs ever. "Who Am I To Be" features a lot of acoustic guitar and gives a good example of just how powerful the vocals are. "Revelations" is a heavy song with brilliant drumming and the title track contains Stevens trademark multi-layered vocals. All lyrics are co-written and they are mostly inspiring and thoughtful. If you want to hear a concept album it's all there but if you're just casually listening the lyrics work as well.

Just as the song writing the production too is an improvement from the previous albums with a clear sound where the acoustic guitars have just as much power as the electric ones. This is the album that really sets CIIC apart from Savatage and I think the band have truly found their sound. At least I hope they stick to the sound of this album because it's a winning one. If you like Savatage then this is a safe buy, assuming you liked Zach's vocals. If you are just looking for new music then this is the place to start your CIIC-collection because this album is the most diverse and consistently good album they've put out. I should also point out that this album has really passed the test of time as I've listened to it a lot since I got it last year.