Dan Swano’s NIGHTINGALE return with the fourth chapter in the NIGHTINGALE saga. Alive Again is simply a great album of diverse progressive heavy rock/metal. One thing that fans of his more extreme metal projects should note is that this is not an extreme metal record in any sense. Melody is the driving force behind the album. Alive Again brings together several styles such as modern prog rock, classic heavy metal, 70’s prog rock, and even some A.O.R. Together with his brother, Tom Nouga, they have crafted an exercise in excellent songwriting dynamics ??" hooks, emotion, strong riffs, and solid song arrangements. You’ll be at a loss to try and find any throwaway riffs or vocal lines. The musicianship of the band is top-notch as they handle the music with ease. Dan Swano’s vocal performance is memorable and powerful while avoiding the cheesy high-pitched clichés of prog. It’s just a pleasure to hear the man sing. Dan Swano’s production job is world class as each instrument is heard loud and clear with a great warm sounding tone overall. Prog-heads will definitely enjoy this album but it may take extreme metal fans many spins before they can get into it. One thing is for sure, you cannot deny the quality of the music. (The End Records)