Review by Daniel for Conception - Parallel Minds (1993)

I've always liked what I heard from Norwegian progressive metallers Conception but hadn't committed to a full release up until now with my previous experience being limited to the odd inclusion on Spotify playlists or on metal radio. I thought I'd start with their most well-known record as it was somewhat of a breakthrough release for the band & I can see why too. There can be no denying the class of a band like Conception & one feels that their critical success was almost a foregone conclusion. The presence of future Kamelot front man Roy Khan certainly didn't hurt their cause either & he plays a monumental role in "Parallel Minds" that sees him being very much the central figure with his pure vocal tone simply oozing of his pedigree in opera which means that Conception really only need to place the right hooks into his capable hands in order to captivate their audience. Whether they succeed in that task is up to the listener to decide though.

"Parallel Minds" isn't the most technically demanding of progressive metal releases but it's certainly complex enough to keep the prog fiends interested. The suitably clean production job & performances afford the compositions the opportunity to connect in a fairly accessible manner & the strength in the song-writing through the first two thirds of the album takes full advantage of it too. The album is highlighted by two genuine classics with the wonderful "Roll The Fire" being as captivating as any progressive metal anthem you're likely to find. "Silver Shine" isn't far behind either while I also tend to favour the more muscular title track. These very strong examples of their type see the album really flexing its muscles from track 1-7 but I can't help but feel that the tracklisting tends to fade a little over the remaining three tracks which are clearly the weakest of the ten on offer with even the epic eight & a half minute closer "Soliloquy" (which was obviously intended to be somewhat of a centrepiece for the album) tending to limp to the finish line rather than galloping in a similar fashion to the earlier material. I still get enjoyment out of all of these tracks & the slight dip in quality hasn't proven to be enough of a concern to see me altering my rating but I do feel that it was somewhat of a missed opportunity nonetheless. 

I'm surprised that I haven't seen more comparisons between Conception & Dream Theater to be honest as "Parallel Minds" showcases a very clear influence, particularly from Dream Theater's classic 1992 sophomore album "Images & Words". Fellow US progressive metal legends Fates Warning were no doubt the other primary influence here with Khan's vocal histrionics tending to sit in the middle ground between Dream Theater front man James LaBrie & Fates Warning's Ray Alder. There are some impressive guitar solos from Ark/D.C. Cooper axeman Tore Østby included which was always gonna tick a few boxes for an old shredder like myself but I also found myself getting into the power metal influence that pops up from time to time, particularly on tracks like "And I Close My Eyes". The ballad "Silent Crying" takes a more commercial heavy metal direction to the rest of the album but has grown on me significantly with each listen after it initially seemed like an ill-guided attempt at achieving radio play. The rhythm section of bassist Ingar Amlien & drummer Arve Heimdal are impressive throughout & give Conception a solid platform for which to work off while keyboardist Hans Christian Gjestvang contributes a tasteful performance that doesn't ever push out into cheese territory.

"Parallel Minds" has really impressed me here. I often find myself digging the more traditional 1980's brand of progressive metal when it contains soaring & universally capable clean vocals & there's no denying Conception's clear qualification against that criteria. Some of the riffage is a little uninspired during the weaker moments (just look at the clear rip-off of the main riff from Pantera's "Mouth For War" in "Wolf's Lair" for example) but the overall package is executed with such efficiency & class that I never find my gaze being broken for too long. I'll certainly be returning to "Parallel Minds" in the future & also look forward to seeing what Conception's next couple of albums offer too.

For fans of Ark, Sunburst & Eldritch.