Reviews

...Overall the album is very strong and solid. Probably the strongest in 2004, although there are a couple of long-awaited releases, one of them by Pain of Salvation (Be, Inside Out), which I do not think it will top Chain.exe. As a band, Chain’s sound has evolved a lot comparing it to Reconstruct. Individually, Matt Cash’s vocals sound very different, but very good, and Henning Pauly has developed a signature sound easily identifiable in each his releases. Eddie Marvin’s drum sound is awesome, and he is getting better and better with each release. Christian Becker and Stefan Kernbach are not left behind. Both of them showcase wonderful performances, demonstrating not only the technical side, but also their melodical side as well. Chain is carrying the torch of fresh new progressive metal. A fresh release, very heavy, very technical, not pushing the limits, but conserving the melody, which in this days progressive rock is very lacking.
oquintero.blogspot.com/2009/10/chain.html

...The first track ‘’Cities’’ weighs in at a hefty thirty eight minutes and quite honestly it’s a breath taking in scope and delivery, a very fine piece of work if you can last the pace. Bands that concoct lengthy songs are rarely short of talent and CHAIN has it in spades. Soaring vocals, pulsating guitar riffs with masterful solos and a back line that just dominates, keyboard flourishes in all the right places and the odd time changes are all in there...
www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=7314

...Paulys' musical ideas also seem to incorporate the unexpected, just when you are grasping one of the many instrumental heavy sections, something like a sax or banjo comes along and changes the whole vibe of the music. The same can be said of some of the vocal arrangements, they add a distinctly original vibe to some of the more conventional progressive overtones on this cd. One thing is certain, this cd is quite a listening adventure, and really demands that you take the time to fully fathom all the intricasies that are taking place along the way. At times I wish the guitars were mixed a tad more forward. But again, understanding that there are so many things being mixed into this cd, it was probably done on purpose...
www.proggnosis.com/MUSIC_DBCDInfo.asp?txtCDID=13799

...Chain.exe is very different from Reconstruct, the previous album: it shows a metal side that Reconstruct hadn’t because it was a mix between prog rock and metal. This time it is really prog metal alternating softer and more melodic sections that give that touch of variety to this very complex album. The guitar riffs and the music in general are more hard edged, with Pauly’s classic style on the guitar, using the wah wah effect a lot...
www.progressiveworld.net/chain3.html

Italian review
www.metal-zone.it/recensioni/chain.htm

Finally I have the chance to review a CDs of Progrock records and by the way it's a great start. The CD include a suite of 38 minutes in 7 parts and 3 songs of about 10 minutes for a total of nearly 80 minutes, it's very generous. The CD is roughly very equal from the beginning until the end even if it contain a long suite of very different songs + 5 other songs enough different themself also. The songs are relatively equal, in a same level even if the last song is absolutly not metal and the thousand changes it have in each ot the songs...
www.proglands.com/search_tool.php3?action=viewgroupe&idgroupe=3296&viewcd=15418#viewcd

French review in Belgium
www.musicinbelgium.net/pl/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=495

Italian Review
www.hmp.it/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=3412

...Namedropping is easy: Magellan, Saga, Rush Kansas, this is certainly an American band playing American prog. The result is a big step forward from their so-so debut. Sadler does good vocal work, but let us not go Matt Cash unmentioned. His soulful vocals add that extra bit in places. Plenty of complexity and bombast and good melodies too to convince the greatest doubter. But remember, the music can be very heavy in places.
www.cs.uu.nl/people/jur/reviews/chainexe.html

Chain follows up to their amazing debut, Reconstruct, with a release that ups the anti with a 38 minute (7part) opener called Cities. The name of the second release is called Exe and is released through Progrock Records. Henning Pauly is back with some familiar faces as well as some new ones. One of the new ones is fellow Frameshifter, Eddie Marvin Henning adds some guests including Michael Sadler (of Saga fame) as well as Mike Kenneally on guitars and vocals, Steve Katsikas (of Little Atlas) on saxophone plus other musicians and singers. The key vocalist on Exe are Matt Cash and Michael Sadler. With Michael on board, there’s a strong resemblance to Saga in parts. One can even say Chain’s Exe, is a prog metal version of Saga while still retaining their own image. There’s even a Saga cover song that Michael did vocals on called Hot To Cold. It’s from the first Saga release. It’s very faithful to the original especially with Michael singing on it...
www.geocities.com/prognaut/reviews/chain2.html

...Musical genius Henning Pauly and his band mates, Matt Cash, Stephan Kernbach, Christian Becker, and Eddie Marvin along with a long list of special guests (including musician extraordinaire Mike Keneally and vocal legend Michael Sadler from Saga, Jody Asworth from the acclaimed Trans-Siberian Orchestra, along with rising stars Maya Heddi, Victoria Trevithick, and Edward Heppenstall) bring you this progressive metal masterpiece. Top notch production along with high quality musicianship bring this project alive (continued from Chain’s debut album Reconstruct), along with the Cash/Pauly lyricists duo writing memorable lyrics accompanied by wonderful melodies...
www.progressiveears.com/asp/reviews.asp?albumID=2889&bhcp=1

Spanish review
manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/C/CHAIN/chain_exe.html

...Pauley makes it clear that although his previous releases have been prog with hints of metal, he considers this one to be pure progressive metal. Well Chain.EXE may be too intelligent for most dyed-in-the-wool metalheads. This is a big album – with big sounds, vast and arrangements, big multi-part vocals harmonies, and a cast of 13 hugely talented practitioners of what must surely be the next generation of progressive metal. There’s no doubting its metallic heaviness, but this one is recommended for discerning listeners.
www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=1797

I thought Chain’s first effort was pretty solid stuff, but lacked a necessary cohesiveness and focus. I probably should have cut them some slack; it was, after all, a debut disc. Also, they showed enough talent on it to promise strong returns for their next outing... And they didn’t disappoint. “Chain.exe” offers up a mean multi-part composition called “Cities”, some strong performances by all involved and even some licks from a banjo. Don’t knock it, it works...
www.musictap.net/Reviews/ChainChainExeCD.html

...The epic “Cities” undertaking kicks us off with some of the heavier riffs on the album, then gets technical. Since this is a single song that’s split between seven tracks, there’s a theme that repeats throughout most of the songs before coming to a head in “Cities VII.” “Cities V” channels QUEEN’s “The Prophet’s Song” in a minute-long a capella vocal harmony of awesomeness which is paralleled, if not reproduced, in the finale. Throughout we’ll get technical guitar solos, acoustic contemplating, noteworthy piano work, a riff in “Cities I” that sounds unpleasantly like my alarm clock, and a banjo making guest appearances in the rhythm section. I really like that banjo. It’s integration is organic and it even comes to the fore in some parts of “Last Chance To See.”..
www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=12001

Italian review
manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/C/CHAIN/chain.html

This year so far, has been a good one for some fine albums, but once in while one tends to stick in your mind for days. From the USA, Chain's latest release EXE does just that, and has you enjoying every minute of the eighty on offer here. What this album has, is an excellent production and great musicianship, and to hand, the lead vocalist from Saga, Michael Sadler. Having had the pleasure of seeing Saga in the Netherlands a few years ago, Michael's voice just flowed effortlessly through the mix, and his voice does the same on this production...
www.hairlessheartherald.co.uk/chainexe.htm

I thought it was impossible to hold your breath for 38 minutes. After hearing the epic song Cities from the magnificent Chain.exe, I’m not so sure anymore. Cities is the first song on the album, conveniently broken up into seven tracks to make finding a favorite part easier. The song begins with crunching metal guitars, then smoothes out into a beautiful piano melody that carries the listener into the vocals, initially sung by Michael Sadler. The number of guests on this album is amazing, and the quality of their performances—even the lesser known ones—is simply astounding...
www.prog4you.com/cd-reviews-12-04/Chain.htm

This album is unbelievable. It is a thinking man's prog metal album. The metal parts are extremely catchy and rocking and the less hard parts are pure prog bliss. If you liked Frameshift ,which is an awesome effort in its own right, this goes a step beyond that...And if you think that the album is just the Cities suite and some other songs tacked on - not the case. The rest of the album holds up just as well as the monumental Cities epic. I give it a 5 and put it near the top of my all time favorites.
www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=6617

...Once again, the album balances between prog rock and prog metal. The first song, ‘Cities’, is a true epic of close to 40 minutes and opens with the fattest riffs I have heard in a long time. The vocals here are of the highest level and Matt Cash proves to be a top vocalist! Most likely he is best vocalist of the past year. ‘Cities’ is packed with all elements that make a song so great to listen to. Besides thew already mentioned vocals, the guitar parts are amazing: tight, heavy and varied. Also the keyboards and the orchestrations all do their part in completing the total sound. In between there is an a-capella piece, which reminded me a lot of Savatage’s ‘Morphine Child’ (from the album Poets and Madmen)...
www.prog-nose.org/engels/albums_2004/chain_exe.htm