Now here is a band that puts quite a bit of b*lls into the progressive metal sound. Take note: I said progressive and not the abbreviated catch phrase. With this movement of more song oriented progressive metal hitting the racks, Shining Star is among bands like Stride and Arc that forge melodic rock with technical tempers. It’s like these guys cross Balance of Power with TNT, while turning the keyboard presence up a notch, pertaining to a straightforward metallic attack rather than coaching out a more elaborate structure that can often cause the listener to get lost. Sophisticated with energetic cuts such as the moody ‘From Now On,’ the dark ‘Insomnia’ (which is reminiscent of ‘Headless Cross’-era Sabbath), and the synth frenzy of ‘Nightmare’ where the churning guitar riffs protrude a thick wall of crunch, like a crushing blow to the chest, it is obviously confirmed that power is the main key to the melodic stature on ‘Enter Eternity.’ There is even balladry with ‘Never too Late,’ proving that other notions of emotion are conveyed. These guys do more than play out jittery staccatos, numerous key changes, and jam sessions that have the listener looking for the scan button. Shining Star puts the high mark for melodies at the forefront of their sound, shared equally with the guitars, keys, and rhythm section; not to mention that vocalist Lance King fronts the band with a wide range of pipes. So alas, another real progressive metal release has been bestowed upon the masses, a must for those who like their ‘back to basics’ technical heavy metal.