None of that matters if the music isn't very good. Heretofore, I've been able to bear with the esoteric mystical, numerology jazz, but it seems that it is reaching a new level of ridiculousness. My hope is that it does not overshadow the music. I'm a firm believer that the aesthetics of a band should be an outgrowth of the bands music, not vice versa; form follows function applied to music, if you will.

I agree. But in the case of SC3, I think the two have become largely inseparable. Trey wants the esoteric background to be carried forward by the music. I have heard that even on "Book M" he deliberately wrote some parts in 19/8 to get the number 19 in... I see some resemblance with a band like Coil, where the esoteric background cannot be separated from the music either (even though Coil and SC3 walk distinctly different musical paths...). In my opinion, SC3 has a lot of unrealized potential that has not fully materialized on any of the first three albums (even though "Book M" came pretty close). I can only hope that Trey succeeds in getting his wonderful ideas realized to the extent which his speaking about it promises. In a month's time, we will be able to judge for ourselves whether or not he has succeeded. Frankco