If you haven't heard anything from this group yet, you should be ashamed on two levels. First of all, go out there and pick this magnificent opus up now, and secondly, get to a video store and watch Sam Dunn's "Global Metal" documentary. It's a rare thing for this band to release new material, as both this album and its predecessor took a good number of years each to be written, arranged, recorded, and mixed. If there's one thing this review aims to promise, it is that the wait was well worth it.

"The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR" is a concept album, following the battles of a warrior of light against the forces of darkness. Of course, while great significance can be extracted from the lyrical side of things, most fans will be enthralled by the instrumental aspect of the music instead. On that note, a total of fifteen musicians performed on this recording, featuring a wide range of instruments, from the standard tools of Metal to the majestic Arabian harmonies of violins, nay and kawala flutes, both fretless and cordless basses, a bouzouki, and tons more that you probably won't recognize. Each one blends beautifully into the mix, which should come as no surprise to fans of PORCUPINE TREE, as the multi-talented Steven Wilson produced and mixed this incredible work of art.

There is not one moment of dullness to be heard on this masterpiece, and it is pretty safe to say that the band has dethroned their previous efforts by leaps and bounds. This is quite a feat, considering how incredible they each were in their own right.

Whether you're a Progressive Metal fan or not, this is one of those albums that you absolutely need to have in your library, even if it's only to impress your friends. There is really nothing comparable to an ORPHANED LAND album, and their extraordinary amount of artistic integrity shines through in every second of this new addition. It is quite long, but extremely varied, and one of the most layered pieces you'll ever encounter. It's no stretch of the imagination to anticipate this being a lot of people's choice for 'album of the year' ten months from now.

If you were especially a fan of 2004's "Mabool", you'll find it easy to sink right into. The record has something for everyone, and will hopefully draw the kind of attention this band has deserved their whole career. We can only hope that it will keep us satisfied for another four to six years until they produce their next great epic.