1. "Water Confines"
Excellent riffs from guitarist Tore Ostby greet the listener as this medium paced rocker begins. Vocalist Roy S. Khan soon comes in with his incredible vocals. Sounding a bit like Queensryche's Geoff Tate, Khan is one of the best singers in all of metal. He has range, power and emotion. Khan and Ostby make up one of the best vocalist/guitarist duos that have graced metal over the last ten years. "Water Confines" rates an 8.5 out of 10.

2. "Roll the Fire"
This song is a bit slower than the opener but just as heavy. I've heard people say that Conception is one of the better, heavier Dream Theater clones. They are haevy and they're very good but they aren't Dream Theater clones. In fact, I don't think Conception sounds like Dream Theater at all. While Conception does have some similarities to other Dream Theater influenced bands like Vanden Plas, I have yet to hear a Conception song that reminds me of Dream Theater. Whatever. This song rates a 9.

3. "And I Close My Eyes"
Similar to "Roll the Fire", track three is a good rocker that contains some more excellent guitar work by Ostby. Eight out of 10.

4. "Silent Crying"
This is beautiful ballad with some really cool Spanish guitar-type playing by virtuoso Ostby. This tune is very moving and emotional. It rates a 9.

5. "Parallel Minds"
The title track is aggressive and contains some really speedy moments (for Conception) and a soaring chorus. The problem I have with this song is the lack of a strong finish as the chorus just kind of wimps out at the end. Still, this is a good song and rates a 7.5/10.

6. "Silver Shine"
The guitar work in this song is fabulous; they are strong and clear. The vocals are sung in a lower range in the verses but soar in the chorus. This song showcases Khan's range as a vocalist. The song has its good points, but overall it isn't that great, but I'll live. It gets a 7.5.

7. "My Decision"
"My Decision" is a slow-paced but heavy song that has some creepy vocal harmonies and unusual melodies. It is the most unique song on the disc but that doesn't mean it's great. It's an 7.5/10.

8. "The Promiser"
This song wanders too much for me to really get into (I tried) and the vocal melodies of this medium paced rocker never take off for me. Seven out of 10. I'm sorry.

9. "Wolf's Lair"
I didn't like this one too much. It kind of left me cold. It is a medium paced rocker (where have we heard that?) but it never truly grabs me. So it only rates a 7.

10. "Soliloquy"
An epic that clocks in over eight minutes, this track boasts some interesting guitar work and some really melodic vocal lines. The song is divided up into three parts and all start off slowly and pick up as it goes along. Part 3 is especially good. This song ranks an 8.5.

Parallel Minds is another good album from Conception. I like their last release (Flow) best but this CD is still a good, even with its drawbacks. I don't really know who to compare Conception to. Dream Theater doesn't fit. Maybe they're a little like Vanden Plas or Superior. Either way, Conception plays a hybrid of power metal and progressive metal. If you like slower, crunchier power/prog, you'll like Conception (I hope). A lot of people wish Khan and Ostby were still together. They'd probably be making good music if they were, but I wouldn't trade Khan's material with his new band, Kamelot, for the world.

Ratings and Wrap Up:
8.0

The Best: Khan! KHAAAAAAAANNNNN!!!!
The Worst: Conception only made four albums. Aw, man!
The Weird: Conception only made four albums. Aw, man! (Okay, that's not weird. I tried.)
The Rest: Khan has hinted in several interviews that he and Ostby may get together again and do one more Conception album. That could be cool.

Review by Joesph White-


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