Verdict (Rating): Hard rock with progressive aspirations (71%)
More Info: www.forbiddendream.net
Forbidden Dream formed in Ottawa Canada in 1997. They released a 3-song EP in 2001 and have appeared on 3 compilation CDs.
The band quote a number of influences, but two of their biggest are Bon Jovi and Dream Theater. It is no surprise then that their style is melodic hard rock with splattering of progressive tendencies.
The album has a real 80's hard rock feel to it. Those Bon Jovi influences show up in a few places most noticeably on ballads "Holding On" and "You Will Never See Me Cry" and "This Side Of Hell". On "This Side Of Hell" I also hear early Def Leppard which also pops up on a few other songs on the album. For example, "Heaven's Taken Over" mixes the blues with Lepp's "Sorrow Is A Woman".
Overall this is a competent first release. The album finishes stronger than it starts with the second half the album containing the better material. In fact, I found the opening track "Welcome to the world" to be one of the weakest on the album and gave me a bad initial impression. Also, the material on here requires a few listens to be fully appreciated, but repeated listens pay dividends. Being a Dream Theater fan I would have liked the band to maybe let more of that influence through into their music. I think that this would be a way for the band to help distinguish themselves in a genre that has all the original 80's hard rock releases and plenty more since competing for the listener's attention.
