Hotshot Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson fulfills his vision of bombastic, symphonic metal with many projects, but THE CODEX teams him with Yngwie Malmstein vocalist Mark Boals in perhaps the heaviest project either man has participated in. Relentlessly melodic and extravagant tracks like opener "Beyond the Dark" showcase both Boals's elastic wail and Karlsson's encyclopedic technical vocabulary. The songs on THE CODEX are as impeccably orchestrated as the best progressive and power metal, with keyboards shading the nimble guitar passages and subtly darkening the moody compositions. THE CODEX displays the possibilities of metal virtuosity in all its glory.