Are your ears tuned up? Before you get to the new release from Mercury Rising entitled Building Rome, you probably should put in something from Fates Warning and/or Dream Theater's excellent disc Falling Into Infinity. Either will put you in the right frame of mind for some progressive metal.
It does take Mercury Rising a track to get on cue. Opener
"Cathedrals" introduces what could be called the album's theme,
organized religion. It introduces the topic, but like a weak
introduction in a speech, it doesn't make me interested in the
topic. The song seems somewhat aimless as it just goes through the
verses and chorus. While the lyrics "As God would show himself to
me/ my conscience is my guide/ And in his temples I would pray/ but
in cathedrals I'll not hide" set up the rebelling against an
organized church, musically it's probably one of the weakest
opening tracks I've heard since Archer of Loaf's "Welcome to the
Light" on Vee Vee. I wasn't impressed with the first track.
But things can only get better, right? Second track "Building Rome" is sophisticated and features a touch of thrashy metal influence toward the middle of the song. The subtle double bass (feeling it, not really hearing it) comes at the height of one section and provides a great contrast when the band slips back into the same musical theme as the opening section. This track strikes me as being more of a "composition" than a song, certainly more of one than the opening track. After the repeat of the first section, the thrashy guitar comes back and the song rides the strong groove out.
Track four "A Narrow Door" stands out as being the closest thing to a "rocker" song. Although it starts out slow, things pick up when the band starts the third verse with these lyrics:
"If it's true that tribulation worketh patience,
then I should be a patient man
but patient is not what I am.
Now questioning the terms of my existence
No anchor here to steady me"
Track seven, "Renaissance" stands out as being one of my favorite tracks. It is an acoustic track with some moody effects. It features a very melodic guitar solo. The subject is about making a connection with God, exemplified with the lyrics:
How many times will I plead on
Bended knee before I transcend to
The one you would have me to be?
Closing track "Think" is a mammoth track that ends the disc appropriately. There's a little bit of closure for the search that has plagued the subject of the disc as the following lyrics explain:
Racing to find the answers,
Running to beat the hands of time
Pushing forward fighting back
Where's the finish line?
I need to catch my breath.
That ends the search for an understanding of religion in a person's life. Overall, the eight songs on this disc remind me of popular progressive metal acts like Fates Warning and Dream Theater. As with those bands, it's easy to get caught up in the lyrics and forget that you are listening to some sophisticated music. Aside from the opening track, this is a decent disc. I liked it better than their previous one Upon Deaf Ears.