See, that's why I had trouble making an abridged version, as all the songs are important to the story.
I feel the same way. After so many attempts to make abridged versions, I've come to the conclusion that (almost) every song either has its place in the story that would be missing if it was cut, or is just a song that I enjoy.
That said, there are two songs (not counting NOMAC interludes) that I feel actively interrupt the flow of the album: Begin Again & Whispers On The Wind.
Begin Again because it doesn't fit with the build-up of tension that happens from A Tempting Offer to Heaven's Cove, & also tells us very little that wasn't already clear, & Whispers On The Wind because the ending to Losing Faythe implies a sense of hope that is followed up with on Hymn Of A Thousand Voices. Whispers On The Wind steers away from that direction only to go right back to it in the next song. I think both of these songs make the album feel more unfocused, & they're the only ones that I can definitively argue that they make the album worse overall (at least for me).
So that leaves me with 27 songs & exactly 2 hours of music, & at this point, I'm okay with that.
Nefaryus has the last lines in Losing Faythe and is begging to Gabriel to use his gift. Whispers on The Wind is there to convey the despair Gabriel is feeling after his incident with Daryus, there is no more hope. It's a contrast that makes Hymn of A Thousand Voices that much more powerful.
I guess I could understand your point, but I think the rapid contrast makes the album's pacing a little shaky. It's like
>Faythe is dead! We're all in despair. There's no more hope.
>But wait, what if Gabriel could use his gift? Maybe there is hope!
>No Nafaryus, I can't use my gift. There's no more hope.
>Oh wait, the townspeople can still sing. Hope is restored!
It feels quite unnatural in that way, but if it was more like
>Faythe is dead! We're all in despair. There's no more hope.
>But wait, what if Garbriel could use his gift? Maybe there is hope!
>The townspeople & Gabriel can sing. Yes! Our hopes came true.
then I think it would feel a lot more like a natural string of emotions, which I think flows better from both a story-telling & musical perspective.