The music industry has changed a lot in the last five years, and one band that are all too aware of the shift that the scene has gone through in that time is Brisbane based outfit Melodyssey.

After two well received releases (2002’s self-titled EP and 2003’s full-length effort Distance & Regret), Melodyssey spent the better part of two years touring around the country, and in the process developing a solid following.

But when the time came to start thinking about their sophomore effort, the band soon found themselves without a label to help them release a new album (Modern Music had since parted ways with the band), and no offers from fellow labels in sight. Undeterred, the four-piece act, who now comprise of vocalist Lance Howard, guitarist Clint Vincent, bassist Daniel Vincent and drummer Luke Williams, set about doing things themselves independently.

After two years work alongside noted producer Forrester Savell (who also engineered, mixed and mastered the album, and who’s previous credits include Karnivool, The Butterfly Effect, Mammal and Dead Letter Circus), Melodyssey have finally unveiled The Two Windows, their first new album in five years.

“The Constant Rain” is a powerful opening track, and a song that more than shows the growth the band have made in their five years between releases. On the surface, “The Constant Rain” is still essentially Melodyssey. But underneath, the band seemed to have refined their song writing to allow the chorus to stand out more against the heavier verses, while the musicianship has been tightened up and simplified to make the riff structures have a real impact.

The progressive edge of the band’s past sound has certainly come a long way from years ago, with “Same Insane,” “Fall Of The Star” and “Balance” just some of the more memorable efforts where the musicianship really comes to the fore, while the slower “Reasons Why” and the beautiful acoustic effort “White” provide the album with some real diversity.

Elsewhere, the band just simply rock out on tracks such as “Compromise,” “End Of Time” and the title track “The Two Windows.”

After years of struggling to get their music out to the masses, Melodyssey have finally come through and delivered The Two Windows and it has definitely been worth it for both the band and patient fans.

www.myspace.com/melodyssey