The Flashcards: 4th Dimension - The White Path to Rebirth (2011)

70/100

4th Dimension is an Italian band reminiscent of Rhapsody of Fire and Sonata Arctica, with added synths in the vein of Vision Divine that occasionally take on an organ-like tone. For this debut album, they even invited Fabio Lione to guest on "A New Dimension," a track that feels intentionally grandstanding just for him. There are a few similarities to other songs here, though it's a bit tough to recall them. It might be a bit of a stretch, but the intro to "Angel's Call" sounds like the vocal chorus humming from Schönberg's "Rosa Velmentis."

What’s a bit disappointing is the high number of ballads or mid-tempo tracks, which fails to really deliver the adrenaline rush I look for. Case in point: "Goldeneyes," "Everlasting," "Winter's Gone," and "Landscapes (Vestige of the Past)."

Tracklist:

1. The Sun in My Life

2. Consigned to the Wind

3. Goldeneyes

4. Sworn to the Flame

5. Everlasting

6. A New Dimension

7. Winter's Gone

8. Labyrinth of Glass

9. Angel's Call

10. Landscapes (Vestige of the Past)

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