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The opening bars of Sceptic, which leads off the Spheric Universe Experience’s second disc, Anima, has a vibe to it that lets you know you’re about to be treated to a decent slab of progressive/power metal. The rest of the disc more than fulfills the promise of those opening moments, as Spheric Universe  Experience, absolutely knocks one out of the park. The easy reference here would be to "Dream Theater," but SUE does enough to withstand the comparison. While the former is solidly guitar-drive, the French band seems almost led by Fred Colombo’s outstanding keyboard work. While he delivers on the pyrotechnic chops demanded by prog-metal fans, he’s also got a lithe touch on softer moments, as heard during the instrumental Stormy Dome.

More often, though, Colombo’s skills are employed in the creation of a technical, heavy, and above all, fluid sound, along with guitarist Vince Benaim and bassist John Drai. Thanks to an outstanding production job from Charles Massabo and Tommy Hansen, every member of the band is well-represented, and more importantly, sounds great on Anima.

The first half of the disc is best represented by the combination of Being and Inner Quest. Colombo starts the proceeding with a spoken word segment over his own swirling keyboard soundscape, which quickly gives way to an almost paranoid riff that carries the instrumental, Being. Inner Quest might be the track that most recalls early "Dream Theater," but it doesn’t suffer from the comparison. Colombo shifts easily from languid counterpoint to Benaim’s bridge guitars, to dancing melody lines supporting the verses. The overall effect is one of effortlessness, over which Franck Garcia’s vocals soar.

The best track on the album arrives just over halfway through, in the guise of the song, End of Trauma, an epic track that still, somehow, manages to come across as a focused piece of music. The technical passages give way to rhythmically simple, yet still heavy choruses, allowing the wayward headbanger to get back into the groove. Drai’s understated basslines get a few moments to shine during quieter passages within the song. Despite the presence of those moments, the band keeps the flow going strongly through the track’s 9:28 run time.

Another instrumental cut, Black Materia brings the album to a close on a frenetic note, interspersed with moments of jazz fusion riffage. It is, in its way, a whimsical finishing touch, but the track leaves the listener with a smile on the face, as it weaves in and out of technical passages.

Along with Dream Theater, there are valid comparisons to be drawn with the like of "Vanden Plas," or the German band "Superior" or any number of Magna Carta outfits from the late 90s. To their credit, Spheric Universe Experience, have delivered an album in Anima that transcends any of those references, and stands on its own as one of the best prog metal releases of 2007.