Nation Beyond is a Swedish progressive metal band which began life as a project by Debase guitarist Jonas Karlgren and Face Down bassist Joakim Hedestedt. Fleshed out with additional members, the duo went to work on an epic conceptual work dealing with the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. The resulting work is a stunning amalgam of Savatage, Queensryche, Evergrey, and Redemption. Yeah...I'm not kidding! Vocalist Nielz Lindstrom is very expressive, reminding at various times of Chris Cornell and Tom Englund. The album has a big symphonic sound that evokes the moodiness of Dead Winter Dead period Savatage and Redemption's The Fullness Of Time. The writing has strong emphasis on melody but just when you think it is leaning too much in the symphonic direction it slams you in the face with just the right amount of crunch. I could go on and on about this disc - this one pushed all the right buttons for me. Packaged in a gorgeous digipak with fantastic artwork, this debut left me slack jawed and stunned. BUY OR DIE!!