I'm sure for a lot of people this is one of those mostly forgotten albums that fell through the cracks, but for me this was one of the biggest surprises I've ever had. A friend recommended it to me about 15 years ago and even though it's something I wouldn't normally be interested in, power metal AND Christian lyrical themes, I absolutely loved it and revisit it every couple years or so.

I was put off by the idea behind the concept lyrics at first but it sounded kind of interesting. By keeping an open mind it didn't take long for me to find the story very touching and emotional as I went through the songs even though some aspects are a bit silly. Beyond the lyric concept, everything about the music is stellar. From the variety and pacing of the writing to the sheer talent and range of every instrument being played, this album never loses me for a second. There is also an impressive amount of atmosphere created in the songs too. Taking all of that into account, Michele Luppi has so much power and dynamics behind his singing that it might be the thing I like the most even though power metal singing is usually something I have to endure rather than enjoy.

The Perfect Machine will always be one of my favorites and was a great example for me to never judge a book by its cover. I'd recommend it to any metalhead regardless of their tastes because it might just win you over like it did with me although probably not to the same extent.