The disc is labeled with the word "Highlights." This 8-song promo CD was given to me with a forewarning of "it's still a work in progress." I was almost afraid to listen to the disc for fear that it would be like a piece of meat that came off the grill too early. But much to my surprise, the songs that are present on the disc are very complete and quite impressive in every way.

Sabinas Rex is keyboardist Vlado Kormos, drummer Teodor Lvovsky, and guitarist Vladimir Ouchakov and a host of other additional musicians and vocalists. Hailing from New York City, Sabinas Rex has taken on a concept album that they are proud to bill as a "rock opera." Set in a similar style to that of Nightwish and bands of the goth rock/metal genre, Rex seems to be pushing the boundaries of the genre pretty hard with these songs. There are songs that have a straight rock feel accompanied by a deep male vocal similar to that of Billy Idol ("Dying Angel"), and there are classical and opera tinged tracks resting comfortably here as well ("The March of Misery"). With six different vocalists listed on the disc's credits, this stands as a strong point of its appeal. All of the voices have wonderful tone and fit the mood and texture of the songs beautifully.

As for the story behind this rock opera, it is a very complex and developed concept. The tale is told with Kings and castles, demons and witches, and elves and fairies. The story reads like a screenplay, and it's really a bit overwhelming. To say that this is still a work in progress, they must be talking about the music because the written text seems absolutely complete.

So, as I sit with the final track playing ("Stories"), I find myself longing to hear more stories. If this is just a portion of the final effort, I am setting a very high standard for the finished project. Sabinas Rex has the possibility of raising the bar for an entire genre. With all fear conquered, I await the last day of construction on this CD with my hard hat nowhere to be found.

Sabinas Rex on MySpace