CATHEDRAL couldn't have thought of a better title for this album. It's a double album of some seriously strange, somewhat spooky, slightly progressive psychedelic Doom that will leave fans guessing just what the inspiration here was. But those familiar with their impressive "The Garden Of Unearthly Delights" caught glimmers of "The Guessing Game".

Perhaps CATHEDRAL spent the last four years listening to heavy doses of Gabriel-era GENESIS, ROBIN TROWER and PENTEGRAM. Or they ventured back from the edges of sonic insanity. Either way, the totally tripped-out eclectic sound of "The Guessing Game" will throw even the seasoned CATHEDRAL fans for a loop. The disc starts out with a stomping instrumental bent on pouring eerie organs, sickening strings and grinding guitars out of the speakers. Just when it gets comfortably uncomfortable, "Funeral Of Dreams" starts with the standard CATHEDRAL wall of guitars until Lee Dorian drones out whacky psycho babble over xylophones and sitars. This dream gets even weirder with BEATLES-flavored carnival-esque hooks colliding with the jam-friendly Stoner Doom this band knows how to bring.

"Painting In The Dark" finds the band prancing unraveled edges of Stoner while the instrumental title track seems to be lifted straight from any the 70's GENESIS albums. "Death Of An Anarchist" builds nicely into a moody, melancholy masterpiece. With its late 80's BLACK SABBATH vibe that crawls along until the song gears up into more modern and faster paced DOWN-friendly jam fest, the track proves to be a great ride. "Edwige's Eyes" weaves melody with trippy Doom-drenched Rock for a great psychedelic groove-based track.

Things get really whacky with "Cats, Incense, Candles & Wine". Here CATHEDRAL sheds the Doom and Stoner leanings for a more Art Rock experience. While Dorrian mumbles. the band members go off on a Rock oddity that would make MR. BUNGLE proud. "One Dimensional People" is an oppressive instrumental that paves way for the most accessible Stoner/Doom, "Casket Chasers". Then the band does a bit of an about-face with the spacey Rocker "La Noche Del Buque Malidto" and kind of jogs in place with "The Running Man". "Requiem For The Voiceless" brings the band back to a crawling pace not heard since "Endtyme", while "Journey Into Jade" finds a great groove but gets a bit corny with the lyrics reflecting upon the band's 20 years.

"The Guessing Game" is ambitious and impressive but not completely accessible. It's an album that takes several listens just to grasp hold of and even more to digest. Some moments will instantly click, others will take time to sink in, and some of it may just rub some the wrong way but then open doors for others. Either way, at this stage in their career, CATHEDRAL has a legacy and instead of just playing it by rote, they take their standard Doom/Stoner offerings and warp it into a lengthy sonic trip that warrants and demands a lot of listens. And that's what really seals the deal with this album. The replay value is extremely high as the entire disc plays as a colorful Metal adventure. So fans that love all of what CATHEDRAL has done will dig "The Guessing Game". But those that have never dug when the band goes on tangents or gets pretty far from its roots will just be puzzled.