Ok, after living with this disc for just about a week, and playing it once a day, I think it is pretty good. I don't think I'd gush on it like I did with Snowfall (which I think is Redemption's high water mark), but it's a really good album.
As I mentioned earlier, my concern was Tom's voice. And while it is different than how he sings in Evergrey, I still find myself not sold. Technically, he's a really good singer. Guy has tons of talent. But the tonal quality of his voice, to my ear, sounds much more monotone, and less dynamic than Ray. I mean, Ray didn't sing in the stratosphere with Redemption, so he was in one general spot, range-wise, as is Tom. But Tom's voice is not as warm as Ray's, so it just sounds...there...to my ear. To set himself apart, I would have thought Tom might have used some range, or perhaps craft some melodies that are a little more dynamic in what they try to achieve. Instead, what I hear is Redemption doing what Redemption does, with Tom on vocals, instead of Tom putting his stamp on Redemption.
Again, I LIKE the record. I'm just trying to be objective about it. When Ray joined Redemption, I felt the band really took a step up, vocally, and melodically. With Tom, I sort of expected a different stamp on things and that the band would go a different place. At least to my ear, it hasn't. It's just like "take Ray out, insert Tom, ok, go." Maybe that was what Nick and Tom wanted to do with this record, to make it an easier transition for some people. But I guess for me, I wanted Redemption to take a different turn with a new singer, who could really put his stamp on it.