Conception
Parallel Minds

Release Date: 1993 | Tracklist

Formed in Norway during the late 80's, Conception was a progressive/ power metal band which started with great potential of becoming a force to be reckoned with. They may haven't achieved a further recognition -the band is still considered criminally underrated-, but they have attained an almost cult status. What's even more exciting is that Conception is the band in which Kamelot's Roy Khan made his first steps, as well as Ark's gifted guitarist, Tore Østby. However, far from being the ex- band of Kamelot's talented singer, the Norse power metallers demonstrated songwriting maturity, technicality and a rare diversity within their genre, which at the beginning of 90's was giving us some undisputed diamonds.

Released in 1993, Parallel Minds is more than a straight power metal record with supersonic elements and proggy licks. With no need to showcase their musical abilities, a good sense of how a powerful song is structured and the unique voice of Khan, Conception shaped their second album with craftsmanship. And with Østby as the conductor, the result was doomed to be a work of high quality. Maybe, the most important thing here is that Parallel Minds has the ability to transcend its' genre and successfully include elements which add variety and break the repetition that seems to be a permanent curse for such bands. Such elements can be heard at the closing " Soliloquy ", which despite its' 9 minute length, demonstrates a solid and excellently executed vision of how an epic metal song should be. Such colorful guitar solos' like the ones after the first minute of the song are hard to find, while the rest of it displays raw riffing alongside with synth additions, climaxing just at the right time. "Water Confines" and "Roll the Fire", the two opening tracks, are great examples of straight and solid songs with Khan's voice really shining. Østby deserves equal credit here for shaping the songs in a way that Khan could develop his singing. Equally crushing and ardent is the guitar work in the title track, while there are also milder moments, like " Silent Crying", the record's acoustic ballad.

Although the album is generally powerful, there are specific points that prevent it from being a truly memorable work. Together with the solid rhythm section, the guitars display a sharp viciousness that's catchy in the first listens, but slowly wears off. And that's maybe the weakest point of the album: while it cleverly incorporates many elements in its' sound, the quite plain songwriting somehow lowers the final quality. It's like there's something more needed, like a spark of catchiness. The choruses which are of great significance in such song structures, are well sung but seem like nothing special at all. This can be seen in tracks like " And I Close My Eyes" or " Silver Shine", where it's almost evident that the band could do better (and specially when compared to ones like the opener ). Furthermore, the lyrics are quite stereotyped, and thus boring, never exceeding the classic power metal boundaries.

Parallel Minds is definitely what we can call a regal power/prog metal album. It stood out as the band's greatest work but never flourished properly, and that for many rather mysterious reasons. What we can do is approach this well hidden gem with admiration and respect, not only for its' undeniable quality, but also for helping Khan and Østby thrive on their continuous musical journey.

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4 excellent

Rank: #88 for 1993