Ark

Power metal -- possibly the last refuge of the virtuoso at the turn of the century. While there were countless forms of expression for nimble-fingered musicians in the '80s, the '90s narrowed it down to hair rock and power metal. Most musicians chose the latter; thus, bands like Ark started to pop up. Featuring session musicians such as John Macaluso and Randy Coven, the band lands somewhere in between Dream Theater and Deep Purple. The nice part about these musicians is their songwriting abilities, which aren't based around where they can fit in solos, so there is the occasional song that really sticks to the brain. A good example is "Just a Little," which delivers a strong hook and some interesting instrumentation. Other songs aren't always as successful, although this genre is so specialized in the first place that it would be hard to win over any mainstream audiences. Better than Yngwie Malmsteen if only because of the hooks, but not quite up to Dio crossover standards, this is a fairly average metal album that showcases some excellent musicians doing what they do best: show off. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide