Band:	Anubis Gate
Album:	The Detached
Style:	Power metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	March 2009

01. On The Detached
02. Find A Way (Or Make One)
03. Yiri
04. Lost In Myself
05. Dodecahedron
06. Pyramids
07. Out Of Time
08. Bloodoath
09. Ammonia Snow
10. Options - Going Nowhere
11. A Lifetime To Share
12. The End

Four or five years ago, it seemed to be fashionable to add progressive elements to metal music. Be it power, heavy, death etc. These days though, when even Iron Maiden climbs on the band wagon, it's becoming increasingly hard to stand out among the crowd and one may start to question whether such actions are wise in the first place. I'm glad to say that when done correctly, it is an emphatic "yes" as showcased by Danish progressive power metallers Anubis Gate with their most recent full-length - The Detached.

Intriguing album art aside, The Detached is a concept album that relates to a story about a race of intellect that has the ability to shift through time. So rather than the usual "dragon slaying / to the land of nevermore" lyrics from a typical power metal album, this is a lot more intelligent and even thought provoking. Coupled with the skilful singing and production of Jacob Hansen, this record is absolutely brimming with a myriad of emotions without compromising on heaviness. Complexity and variation is present without being pretentious or forceful and devoid of wankery. In fact, some of the songs are damn catchy and if you just listen to the song "Yiri", its chorus would just be resounding in your head all day. Solos are scattered around tastefully and unlike most concept albums, it is not crammed with annoying interludes which result in a very cohesive album.

Musicianship wise, Jacob shows us that he can hit the highs as well as any established vocalist with the ability to convey a multitude of emotions. Listening to the polymorphic harmonic a capella towards the end of "Out Of Time" always sends shivers down my spine. The guitars and drums are heavy which compliments the music extremely well whilst the keyboards conjure up the appropriate atmosphere without sounding sugary. If there's a complaint, it would be the not so prominent role of the bass, which seems to be a problem of most metal records.

In a nutshell, The Detached is a very well executed melodic album that should not be overlooked. Its varied and engaging song writing would appeal to progressive metal fans and those getting tired of the European power metal style.