Canadian power metal troupe Into Eternity play like a less self-congratulatory Dream Theater gone death metal on THE SCATTERING OF ASHES, the quartet's 11-track affair. Relentless drums stand out across the board, as a twin death growl/ power metal shrill vocal gymnastic performance sets the music tone shifts from progressive metal wizardry to arena metal anthem to accelerated speed metal bedlam on tracks such as "Suspension of Disbelief". Challenging the genre's conventions through odd time signatures, inhuman bursts of speed, sustained high-pitched yells, and soul crushing lows, tracks like "Eternal" assist Into Eternity in making the hybrid sound of Shadows Fall, Nevermore, and Megadeth its own in grand fashion. www.centurymedia.com