Label: ProgRock Records
Review by Tony Cannella
On their fourth album, “Some Kind of Poetic Destruction” the Portuguese/Swedish progressive rock duo Factory of Dreams returns with their biggest, most ambitious and grandiose release yet. With their previous albums, Factory of Dreams set a definite standard of being one of the best progressive rock/metal bands on the scene, now with their latest (70-minute) opus the band has raised the bar even higher.
For “Some Kind of Poetic Destruction”, Hugo and Jessica have crafted a well written concept revolving around a girl named Kyra, who holds the key to the fate of mankind. This complex tale is the focal point of “Some Kind of Poetic Destruction” and for the album; Factory of Dreams has utilized some very talented musicians. Among the guests joining Hugo Flores and Jessica Lehto are: vocalists Magali Luyten (Beautiful Sin, Ayreon, Epysode) and Raquel Schuler from Hydria. Musically, the songs are as classily written as you might expect from Factory of Dreams and the album flows seamlessly from song-to-song, mixing the more complex, progressive elements with more melodic, accessible fare. In that aspect, Factory of Dreams has hit a home run. From the opening spoken narration intro, “Prelude” the band launches into the cosmic Star One-ish “Strange Sounds”, and this is a good table-setter for what is to follow. The excellent mid-tempo, guitar heavy track “Escaping the Nightmare” is next and the two vocalists Jessica and Hugo have great chemistry together. The highlight for me was emotional “Angel Tears” which features Raquel Schuler on lead vocals and is just a tremendous song. Next is the equally effective “Seashore Dreams”. Other highlights include: “Dark Season”, “The Neutron Star” and “Join Us Into Sound”.
Very few genres in rock and metal are as polarizing as progressive music, but with “Some Kind of Poetic Destruction”, Factory of Dreams has managed to bridge the gap between extravagant arrangements and melodic music with passion and heart. That is no easy feat, but with “Some Kind of Poetic Destruction”, I think it’s safe to say that they have nailed it.
Rating – 90/100
Tracklist
- Prelude
- Strange Sounds
- Escaping the Nightmare
- Angel Tears
- Seashore Dreams
- Dark Season
- Sound War
- Hope Garden
- Travelling
- The Neutron Star
- Join Us Into Sound
- Playing The Universe (2013 Version)
- Seashore Dreams (Bonus Video version track)
Line Up
- Jessica Lehto – Vocals, Vocal harmonies and Arrangements
- Hugo Flores – Vocals, Music, Instruments and Production