This was an exciting "discovery!" A new Christian metal band putting out their debut on a secular label! Nice! Nicer still is the powerful and professional sound this album contains. Imagine Iron Maiden getting ahold of Queensryche or Dream Theater's producers and telling them, "We want the power of our music with the sonic perfection of those two bands." This is the sound that would undoubtedly result. If you're counting indie releases, this Spring is a very good season for melodic / progressive / power metal.
Of course, Jacobs Dream has two guitar players -- John Berry (who also plays synth) and Gary Holtzman. They play precise, clean, fast, and together. Bassist James Evans is solid and right in the pocket, jumping out in front only on rare occasions, like the intro to "Never Surrender." Singer David Taylor has that voice that metal bands of this style just salivate over. There is no unnecessary wavering when he reaches up for high notes, and there is a clean rise at every step. He could melt a girl's heart with a ballad or make an intruder turn around and run away. Drummer Rick May also produced the album, which probably explains the keen attention to sonic detail. Each instrument was dialed in to capitalize on those perfect frequencies.
Lyrically, the band does a brilliant job of taking the listener on a higher plane of thought. Skipping the fun of girls and cars and proms, Jacobs Dream points the kinescope to a world that is unseen. In "Funambulism," the lyricist tells of a voice that's calling it, "Don't you know, you hold the key, and that your future lies in Me." The clincher is "The Bleeding Tree," which beckons the listener, "Come bathe in the Lion's blood / the bleeding tree / Eloi! Eloi! Lema..."
Go ahead and start thinking of Jacobs Dream in the same breath as Impellitteri or Queensryche. These guys are that good.
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