There's no more doubt. Cloudscape is the new dominant force in progressive metal's ground and one of the few acts nowadays that delivers music of high standards with remarkable consistency compositionally and interpretively. They did it with their debut, repeated it with "Crimson Skies" and they're still doing it with "Global Drama". 3 out of 3 is anything but easy to achieve and those who have done it automatically reckon themselves as hall of famers of the respective genre. To me, "Global Drama" grants entrance to the progressive pantheon for the Swedish quintet next to bands like Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Symphony X and many others. Additionally, this is the one that'll convince any prog fan that respects itself to include them in his collection, if they haven't done already.

Me of course, didn't have the need to listen "Global Drama" to be won over, having blind faith in the musical intelligence of the Swede's. As soon as it landed in my post box, I knew I was in for something really special, and the first spin confirmed this, no less. It delivers exactly what one would expect and even more. This is mostly about heavy and crunchy riffs that are easily turned into catchy and melodic especially on the chorus parts. Mike Andersson's vocal delivery is majestic, driving, warm and melodically sentimental, a voice that has no problem in going over harsh and throaty whenever Björn Eliasson's and Patrik Svärd's instruments call for it. The solos of the latter two are truly amazing, some of the best and most melodic I've heard lately, without exaggerating, but you can't even call them simple. In general, the album is characterized by a bulky and complete sound, where Haynes Pherson and Roger Landrin have contributed the most with their imposing rhythm section, while this "heaviness" is lightened by the clever use of the symphonic and at times spatial keyboards and some extra "sound effects" like oriental elements ("Cloak and Daggers") or pipes ("One Silent Moment").

From the first track "Mind Diary" it's obvious that "Global Drama" will be somewhere near Symphony X with some Evergrey passages and Kamelot-esque moments, like on "The Silence Within", or even some themes that fans of Pagan's Mind will simply adore ("Paid in Blood") and for some strange reason "Cloak and Dagger" brought in mind progsters Invisigoth (nay, no strange reason, it was just the oriental sounds, but anyway). All in all, it's an offering that won't let you get bored thanks to its incredible diversity and constant exploration of different soundscapes song after song, always through a progressive metal prism. Hopefully, this one will be the key to unlock every closed door Cloudscape have run up against so far, in their effort to achieve total recognition. Will we wake up already? What else can a band do to draw all progressive eyes and ears on them?