Vanden Plas

[LordXaras]

Does anyone else listen to this German band?

Since hearing them on Pandora a month or two ago I've been listening almost exclusively to them... it fits so ridiculously good with my music taste. Anyways, I've exhausted almost my entire contact list and no-one seems to have heard of these guys. I've heard that they're quite big in France and parts of Germany, but apart from their official forums, I've never come across anyone advocating them.

If you need an introduction to them, they play progressive metal with a big pinch of theatrical-ness. Their newest album is a musical remake of The Count of Monte Cristo, and it's awesome.

www.vandenplas.de
www.faroffgrace.com

So... yeah. I rarely start threads here, but these guys are just so awesome that I had to denounce my vows of lurking.

[Jack Lupino]

Van Den Plas is a Dutch name =]

[SomethingApt]

I've heard of them, haven't listened to them much though.

[Layson Juravis]

I'm a one album fan of Vanden Plas so far. I love the album beyond daylight. It has strong melodic prog numbers like Nightwalker and Beyond Daylight. And good anthemic crunchers such as Phoenix and Free The Fire. I'm not too high on their ballads, though.

It's obvious these musicians are influenced by the musings of Dream Theater, yet differ sufficiently to keep things interesting.

I can't say I'm a fan of Christ 0, however. In fact, I've heard it nearly half a dozen times, and I fail to remember off the top of my head a single melodic line from it. Nothing. I know it's not bad, but it's hardly as memorable as Beyond Daylight. I also own Colour Temple, but find that album a little too timid in its approach to fully engage me.

[LordXaras]

I agree. Though it was Christ 0 that got me interested in them, I have recently been listening through a bunch of their other albums and they really have some memorable tracks.