Album Reviews

Vanden Plas “The Empyrean Equation of the Long Lost Things” Album Review By Banyon G.

Editorial Team

April 16, 2024

Of all the prog metal bands that arose in the 90’s, Germany’s Vanden Plas has been one of the most consistent, creating one high quality album after another. Formed in 1986, Vanden Plas did not release their first album until 1994’s “Colour Temple,” after which they released a string of increasingly complex and ambitious albums, some featuring heavy orchestration and lyrical themes that drew from history, literature, mythology, sci-fi, and fantasy. With every release the band has demonstrated a desire to reach for something greater than what they achieved before.

My favorite Vanden Plas album will always be “Far Off Grace,” a wonderfully wrought collection of songs that call to mind the best attributes of Dream Theater and Dokken. As the band proceeded to move toward a heavier, more complexly orchestrated style from 2006 – 2015, I admittedly began to lose some interest although there have always been songs here and there that would greatly impress me, like “Holes In The Sky” from 2010’s “The Seraphic Clockwork.” I considered the two-part series from 2019-2020 called “The Ghost Experiment” to be a nice return to form. 2020’s “The Ghost Xperiment: Illumination” (Part 2) was the stronger of the two albums, featuring a good amount of varied and memorable melodies. But both albums were a welcome change for a fan of their earlier work.

Which brings us to 2024’s “The Empyrean Equation of the Long Lost Things.” From the moment I heard the first single “My Icarian Flight,” my interest was piqued. This song sounds like a return to the glory days of “Far Off Grace” – complex yet highly melodic prog metal with crunchy guitars, soaring vocals, elongated choruses, and mood to spare. And now that I have listened to the entire album, it does not disappoint.

There is a stronger emphasis on melody and emotional resonance on “The Empyrean Equation of the Long Lost Things” than I remember from the last few albums. New keyboardist Alessandro Del Vecchio brings a nimble touch and a nice variety of tones and textures to the table, replacing the recently departed long-time keyboardist Günter Werno. There is a nice balance between the keyboards and the guitars.

The best thing about the new album is that it flows wonderfully from track to track and every song (there are 6, clocking in at 55 minutes total) is equal in quality to the others. Not one skip track here. Certain motifs are repeated over the course of the album, and the music has space to breathe and develop as it goes along. And while all Vanden Plas’ musicians have great technical chops, I have always appreciated their focus on song craftsmanship and on setting a mood rather than the over-indulgent flash of some other prog bands. On “The Empyrean Equation of the Long Lost Things” I do notice a bit more flash here and there (primarily in Stephen Lil’s incandescent guitar work), but it always serves the songs well and never distracts or overwhelms.

Through it all, Vanden Plas remain faithful to their signature sound and songwriting style, and there is enough depth and captivating melodies here to make this one of the band’s better albums. The album does veer into a sort of uniformity now and again where the songs feel like they are blending into one another. But this is mostly great material, both as individual songs and as a continuous album experience. Highlights for me include the aforementioned “My Icarian Flight,” “The Sacrilegious Mind Machine,” and the slower keyboard/orchestra/guitar mini opera “They Call Me God.”
As usual with Vanden Plas, the lyrical storyline is cryptic and impenetrable, and sometimes hard to decipher or follow. Good thing I mainly listen for the music. Based on sheer music however, this is great stuff with depth and emotional resonance, and shows a band at the top of their game almost 40 years into their career.

Banyon’s rating: 8.75/10

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