A Mind's Portrait

A Mind's Portrait is the debut album by British progressive metal group Aeon Zen, first released in May 2009 with catalogue number TDR05009001CD.[1] 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"[2] which "run[s] through the gamut of emotions".[3]

A Mind's Portrait
Studio album by
Aeon Zen
ReleasedMay 1, 2009
Recorded2009
GenreProgressive metal
LabelTime Divide Records
ProducerRich Hinks
Aeon Zen chronology
A Mind's Portrait
(2009)		 The Face of the Unknown
(2010)

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.[4]

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[5] while Progression Magazine called it the "debut album of the year".[6] Elsewhere, the album was hailed as a "refreshing change" amid a stagnated field and "an album to take note of".[7] Stylistically, the album has been compared to others in the field, notably Dream Theater[8]

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 Kravljaca  – 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. Rue  – 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 Fuentes, Göran G. Johansson, Per Stian Johnsen – photography
  • Kevin Codfert and Jorn Viggo Lofstad – technical assistance

References
  1. "Official Aeon Zen site". Archived from the original on August 14, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  2. "Prog Archives' review of A Mind's Portrait". Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  3. "Perfect Prog review of A Mind's Portrait". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  4. "Mattias Norén Portfolio". Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  5. "Aeon Zen, A Mind's Portrait". Classic Rock Presents Prog. Future Publishing. July 2009.
  6. "Aeon Zen: A Mind's Portrait". Progression Magazine. Spring–Summer 2009. ISSN 1087-2744.
  7. "Sea of Tranquility's review of A Mind's Portrait". Retrieved 2009-09-17.
  8. "Prog Naut's review of A Mind's Portrait". Archived from the original on 2011-03-22. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
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