2014-03-08 4:01:53 ¶ ●

By Erik “Jit” Scheele

As a ‘boss fight’ track, it falls a little short. The relatively modest ensemble, which works so well on the rest of the album, holds this one back. The melody speaks of danger (especially the ‘flight of the bumblebee’ interlude towards the middle), but there’s no imminence to it, no lack of control. Compare this to another epic villain track, Eternity Served Cold: the horns absolutely roar out the arrival of the big bad guy

It’s the final minute of the track that really makes me a fan: a reserved, wistful little fanfare. Like victory, but at great cost. Its intimacy, the same aspect that pushes me away from the rest of the song, draws me closer to this bit. The lead-in to Mother is superb, and only reinforces the effect.