The Mystery Hall
The Voyager Through the Void

June 2006
Released: 2005, Lion Music
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: MetalChick

I can’t recall many bands that come from Spain, but The Mystery Hall is one I will indeed remember from now on. They are a solid progressive power metal band of the likes of Pagan’s Mind and Dream Theater. There is immense talent among this four-piece, with strong clean vocals, heavy melodic riffs, progressive song structures and classic atmospheric keyboards. The guitar solos are just like those of Michael Romeo from Symphony X, which basically means they are awesome.



The songs have an upbeat, happy feel, but certainly not in a cheesy way. Things do seem to darken up with "Pushed By the Waves," which has an eerie piano intro that fades back into that high-spirited heaviness. When they slow down a bit in "Underground" as well as "A Brand New Day," there is a strong resemblance to light-hearted prog bands like Platitude or Enchant. There are some awkward moments where it sounds like the singer is off key, or his vocal lines don’t fit with what’s going on underneath him, but those are few and far between. The album is lengthy, or at least it feels that way, topping out at about 64 minutes. At least it is strong and enjoyable throughout.



THE VOYAGER THROUGH THE VOID is this band’s first album, indeed an impressive debut. There is great potential for this band to grow and become something special in the worldwide prog metal scene. I certainly hope they do.