review by: Mladen Škot

"This product is no longer intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases. If that is what you need, you should immediately get Evil Masquerade's second album, Theatrical Madness. If you are a poor music critic, otherwise narrow minded, a terrorist, or just plain stupid, we also strongly advice (sic) NOT to listen to this album."

This Danish mob really knows how to connect with the listener, don't they? Since it obviously doesn't matter what the poor narrow-minded music critic says, here: guys, grow some hair. Lose the goatees. Tell the vocalist to stop wearing that cross, and if at all possible, don't pose trying to look like magicians. It just made the singer look like he's holding a giant pair of invisible balls. And, please, continue making albums like Third Act.

It's never too late to be introduced to another real guitar hero. This one's name is Henrik Flyman (easily recognized as being the only guy with long hair and also known to play the guitar in Quicksand Dream, Moahni Moahna, Zool and Wuthering Heights). Evil Masquerade is almost entirely his own work. On Third Act, he wrote and arranged all the songs, wrote the lyrics, played the guitars, keyboards, and the bass on a few tracks. And he has done the production job... and perfectly, too.

Third Act is a continuation of the plot started somewhere in 2004... sorry, in the distant future. The concept album ends the story about the clueless, lost human race, and the revelation of the one who has been pulling the strings the whole time. The story is divided into eleven perfectly balanced progressive heavy rock tracks (an intro and an interlude called "Orchestration for More Than One Horn" included).

Considering the amounts of effort that has gone into making Third Act, it's a relief to see that Evil Masquerade still feel like joking. The substantial complexity of the music could have driven them insane, and the diversity of the songs proves that they know more than one trick. Hell, they know all the tricks there are. The title songs kicks off a bit like Stratovarius — descending guitar scale accompanied by a drum roll — but all the similarity ends here. Better start thinking what could be the reason that Yngwie Malmsteen got it wrong while Flyman got it just right. The guy doesn't stop playing melodies, the rhythm guitar is almost absent and the two bass drums stay for the whole song — yet it doesn't feel like there's anything missing or overdone. A classic power metal track. Then it's "Black Ravens Cry," with a simple thrash rhythm turning into a gorgeous chorus.

It's time to mention the new singer, Apollo Papathanasio (Time Requiem, Meduza, Gardenian, Majestic, Sandalinas, Firewind) whose voice ethereally floats over the other instruments and perfectly merges into the overall sound picture. Also, it might be important to mention an extremely fluid instrumental section — notice the two seconds of the "Hall of the Mountain King" theme thrown in just for the fun of it — with keyboards doing even more wizardry than the guitar. Actually, pretty much all the instrumental sections are like that, extremely elaborate and diverse.

Fortunately it's not all about the guitar — Flyman knows how to stay in the background when needed, but pay more attention and he's doing something even during those parts. Dennis Buhl is a solid and tasteful rhythm provider, almost making a trademark out of short bursts of cymbal sounds, and Thor Jeppesen's bass lines are clearly audible, proficient and unobtrusive. The rest of the songs vary between slow parts resounding with Black Sabbath spirit and more lively progressive metal, and keep the listener occupied so much that the playing time seems much shorter than it actually is.

Flaws? Just a few: in Flyman's case, the genius is perhaps made out of more perspiration than inspiration. In other words: some themes sound like they have come out of calculation, or trying to invent something new by force, rather than just coming up with a killer tune. But, give Evil Masquerade ANY theme and they'll weave wonders around it. Another distraction comes from Papathanasio — maybe he has listened to too many Dio albums because he tends to overdo it with all the "mmm-hmmms" and, at times, showing off disguised as fake sensitivity. But, since the guy obviously can sing, why not let him?

The melancholy of "The Final Goodbye," with almost a stadium-sized sing-along chorus, nicely ends the concept part of Third Act. An even nicer gesture follows after that: two bonus tracks, one song from each previous album. Okay, you may call it advertising, but... wanna bet you're going to want to check out those albums as well? (8.4/10)