A Mind's Portrait
Encyclopedia
A Mind's Portrait is the debut album
by British progressive metal
group Aeon Zen
, first released in May 2009 with catalogue number TDR05009001CD. The album was praised for its intricate montage of "many stylistic elements", spanning "catchy melodies, a diverse mix of songs and styles, and progressive time changes" which "run[s] through the gamut of emotions".
The album's artwork was designed by Mattias Norén, who had previously undertaken work for groups such as Outworld, Evergrey
and Into Eternity, among others.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by British progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
group Aeon Zen
Aeon Zen
Aeon Zen are a progressive rock/metal band formed in 2008, led by the only permanent member, vocalist, guitarist, bassist and keyboard player Rich Hinks...
, first released in May 2009 with catalogue number TDR05009001CD. The album was praised for its intricate montage of "many stylistic elements", spanning "catchy melodies, a diverse mix of songs and styles, and progressive time changes" which "run[s] through the gamut of emotions".
The album's artwork was designed by Mattias Norén, who had previously undertaken work for groups such as Outworld, Evergrey
Evergrey
Evergrey is a progressive metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. The band was founded in 1995 and released its debut album The Dark Discovery in 1998. Their most recent album Glorious Collision was released in 2011.-Lyrical themes:...
and Into Eternity, among others.
Critical response
The album received generally favorable reviews from niche publications within the Progressive Metal scene. Classic Rock Magazine called the band 'a strong contender for best newcomer at the very, very least' after hearing the album while Progression Magazine called it the "debut album of the year". Elsewhere, the album was hailed as a "refreshing change" amid a stagnated field and "an album to take note of". Stylistically, the album has been compared to others in the field, notably Dream TheaterDream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
Track listing
| Track | Title | Writer | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Existence | Hinks, Musto, Kravljaca | 4:10 |
| 2 | Time Divine | Hinks, Musto, Rue, Shepherd | 4:18 |
| 3 | Blinded Rain | Hinks, Musto, Green, Hemsley, Kravljaca, Whitten | 6:33 |
| 4 | Hope's Echo Pt. I – The Wake | Hinks, Musto, Green, Novak, Whitten | 3:48 |
| 5 | Hope's Echo Pt. II – The Aftermath | Hinks, Musto, Novak, Whitten | 4:36 |
| 6 | A Mind's Portrait | Hinks, Musto | 3:44 |
| 7 | The Circle's End | Hinks, Hemsley | 1:52 |
| 8 | Heavens Falling | Hinks, Musto, Van Schuerbeck | 6:38 |
| 9 | Into the Infinite | Hinks, Musto, Kravljaca, Rue | 6:51 |
| 10 | Goddess | Hinks | 4:23 |
| 11 | The Demise of the Fifth Sun | Hinks, Musto, Bouchoucha, Green, Hemsley, Kravljaca, Whitten | 12:28 |
Performers and album credits
- Rich Hinks – lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, keyboards and programming, lead vocals on tracks 6 and 8, harsh and backing vocals, producer, mixer, artwork direction and design
- Lloyd Musto – drums, lead vocal on track 8 and backing vocals
- Elyes Bouchoucha – lead vocals on track 11
- Andi KravljacaAndi KravljacaAndi Kravljaca is a Swedish heavy metal singer. His main band is the progressive metal band Silent Call, although he is perhaps best known as vocalist for Swedish progressive metal band, Seventh Wonder, appearing on the band's first album, Become, in 2005....
– lead vocals on track 1 and 3, guitar solo on tracks 9 and 11 - Andreas Novak – lead vocals on tracks 4 and 5
- Nils K. RueNils K. RueNils K. Rue is a Norwegian metal singer. His main band is the progressive metal band Pagan's Mind; he is also a current member of the heavy metal band X-World/5 and the newest vocalist for Canadian progressive metal band, Eidolon....
– lead vocals on tracks 2 and 9 - Matt Shepherd – guitar solo on tracks 1 and 2
- Cristian Van Schuerbeck – keyboard solo on track 8
- Robin Springall (Repeat Performance Mastering, London, UK) – mastering
- Mattias Norén – album art
- Toby SingL Ho, Dan Towers, Perrine Perez Fuentez, Göran G. Johansson, Per Stian Johnsen – photography
- Kevin Codfert and Jorn Viggo Lofstad – technical assistance